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RESUME.
Insofar as this Report is of necessity scrappyit
nay "be of some snail value if I rehearse a few of
the nore inportant it-ens of information.
Clinical attention provided "by your Services
has maintained the inportant role it has played for the
past few years. All your Services, including the
School Service, my he looked upon as one large
Out-patient department. Your out-patient attendances
were over 120,000, which represents the out-patient
attendances of a large hospital.
The tuberculosis figure of 151 compares
unfavourably with 138 of the previous year. This nust
be weighed in the balance against the favourable remarks
I have made of the advantageous position you hold with
regard to infant mortality. The incidence of
tuberculosis is a very sensitive indicator of our state
of health, and, although the increase is not alarming,
it is sufficiently definite to show the need there is
for increased vigilance in matters of health, and here
I may say I look upon food as the fundamental factor,
v/ith housing not quite but almost bracketed with it in
importance.
The statistics with regard to inoculation
against diphtheria are unsatisfactory. Diphtheria is
one of the small number of diseases which can be
conquered, but in general it appears the public run
after all sorts of quack nostrums, both in the way of
medicines and ideas, and seem determined to avoid such a
well-tried and well-founded method of prevention as
inoculation against diphtheria. Advertising methods
of the more flashy variety dealing with immunisation
do seem to achieve a momentary success, but there is no
sound public opinion on this matter.
If I may be permitted to audit what after all
is my account, I do believe that you are doing quite
well, and I do believe that the children of to-day,
v/ho will be the men and women of tomorrow, will say that,
in spite of the very difficult time of the world war,
you have done well.
Medical Officer of Health.
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