View report page

23
CONGRESSES.
ROYAL SANITARY INSTITUTE JUBILEE CONGRESS, LONDON, JULY 5th—10th.
For the past fifty years the Royal Sanitary Institute has taken a prominent part in
the cause of Public Health, and to celebrate its Jubilee an Imperial Congress was held in
London from 5th to 10th July.
Much good has been done in the past by these Congresses, as an opportunity is thereby
afforded of open and free discussion between those charged with the welfare of the community
from the different aspects of preventive medicine.
The delegates were representative of every branch of public health work, and an exceedingly
interesting programme was arranged which embraced practically all sections of its
activities.
The opening meeting of the Congress was held in the Guildhall, where also the official
reception by the Lord Mayor and Corporation, the final function of the Congress, was held
on 9th July.
It is a source of satisfaction to a City official to learn that the Congress was regarded
generally as one of the most successful ever held by the Institute, and that this success was
in no small measure assisted by the active interest taken in the ceremony by the Corporation.
ROYAL INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC HEALTH, BRISTOL, MAY 19th—24th.
The above-mentioned Congress was attended by the delegates of the Corporation.
It was fairly representative, and the business side of it deserved special commendation.
The subject submitted for consideration of the delegates could not fail to be of great
service. It is not desirable here to make detailed reference to the items, but two papers
may be mentioned which were of interest to the City. I refer to that by Dr. Lyster, the
County Medical Officer of Health for Hampshire, on "Factory Hygiene as a part of Public
Health." Dr. Lyster, together with your Medical Officer of Health, were on a small Committee
of the British Medical Association appointed to discuss and consider this matter,
and the reader of the paper submitted the decisions arrived at. The moderate nature of
the proposals submitted was somewhat objected to by many of the speakers, but the opportunity
was favourable to bring forward arguments, and considerable progress was made
and many misunderstandings cleared away.
The Congress was the subject of a full report to the Corporation by its official delegates.
It should be mentioned that the Factories' Bill introduced at the end of 1926 was subsequently
withdrawn by the Government. It has been stated, however, that it will be reintroduced
at the end of 1926.
Another paper of considerable interest to the City was that read by Dr. Savage, on
"The Public Health (Meat) Regulations, 1924." This was a well-attended meeting and
a very lively discussion followed.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE PREVENTION OF TUBERCULOSIS, GLASGOW,
JULY 1st—3rd.
The Corporation delegates attended the Twelfth Annual Conference of the National
Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis, held at Glasgow in July.
The following subjects were dealt with in papers read at the Congress:—
(a) Provision for the care of Non-pulmonary Tuberculosis.
(b) The place and functions of the Tuberculosis Dispensaries.
(c) The age factor in Tuberculosis.
(d) The treatment of Tuberculosis by artificial sunlight.
An interesting and detailed report on the Conference was submitted to the Corporation
by its delegates, to whom I am indebted for the following summary of the views of speakers
on the results of treatment of tuberculosis:—
1. At present no certain cure for established tuberculosis is known to science.
2. If taken in time pulmonary* disease can be arrested by proper treatment.
3. The arrest of the disease may be permanent, but there is always a risk that
if the patient returns to his former way of life recrudescence may occur.
Although little was said of prevention, the speakers laid particular stress on three
points which may well be here reproduced:
1. That tuberculosis thrives and spreads in crowded districts. The great difficulty
in stamping it out is the overcrowding which prevails, especially in industrial
areas. It was shown that even to-day in Glasgow more than half
the population live in one or two-roomed houses.
D 2