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92
for the children while travelling. The services of other voluntary organisations, including
the Jewish Board of Guardians and the Wandsworth Peace Memorial, continued to be
used for the placing of unaccompanied children. Additional facilities were secured
during the year for physically handicapped children in need of recuperative holidays.
Expectant and
nursing
mothers,
other adults
and
accompanied
children
Expectant and nursing mothers, other adults and accompanied children were for the
most part placed in recuperative holiday homes direct by the Council but the services of
the St. Henry Convalescent Fund were used for recuperative holidays for a small number
of adults and children resident in the City of Westminster. Continued assistance was
received from the Family Welfare Association in a few particularly difficult cases and
from the Spero Fund for the Welfare of Tuberculous Workers in the placing of tuberculous
persons in recuperative holiday homes. Additional homes were approved for the
placing of epileptic and other physically handicapped adults recommended for recuperative
holidays. The scheme introduced last year of placing mothers with their babies,
and sometimes a toddler as well, in small private houses proved to be satisfactory and
additional homes of this kind were inspected during the year.
Statistics

Health Education
Following the review of activities, both generally and in maternity and child welfare
centres carried out in 1952 (pages 99-104 of the report for that year), some expansion
took place in organised health education ; details are included in the contributions of
the divisional medical officers (pages 132 to 143).
Dissemination of good health advice by medical and health visiting staffs in the course
of their normal duties continued however, as in the past, to be the main form of health
education. The beneficial result of such activity, though difficult to estimate, must be
large.
Diphtheria
immunisation
Experience has shown that the intensive campaigns to stimulate awareness of the
need for diphtheria immunisation, which are held annually in conjunction with the
national campaign organised by the Ministry of Health should, so far as London is
concerned, be held well outside the summer months so as to avoid any possible connection
between inoculation and paralysis which it has been alleged occurs during
poliomyelitis epidemics. Campaigns were held in January (postponed from 1952) and in
November. In future it is hoped to hold these campaigns annually in February. The
campaigns were supported by illustrated advertisements in local newspapers, displays
of posters and distribution of leaflets and bookmarks. The co-operation of the medical
officers of health of the metropolitan boroughs in these campaigns was much appreciated.
Exhibitions
During the two weeks 11th—23rd May a comprehensive health exhibition was
organised at the Woodberry Down Health Centre which was attended by several
thousand people. Features included film shows, physical exercises displays by local school
children and ' Any Questions' forums, the panels consisting of medical, dental and
nursing experts. It is certain that the exhibition brought the centre and its normal
activities to the attention of many who were in a position to benefit by them.