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school on account of whooping cough compared with 280 in the
previous year. The prevalence of measles during the year is
indicated by the fact that 1,829 children were reported by the
head-teachers to be absent from the schools on account of that
disease. The widespread incidence of measles during the year
will be gathered when it is realised that 15 out of every 100 children
on the elementary school registers either suffered or were absent
on account of a brother or sister suffering from measles during
1932.
To provide hospital accommodation for complicated cases of
measles calling for skilled nursing and medical care arrangements
were made to receive cases into the Chiswick and Ealing Isolation
Hospital, and during the period of prevalence 22 cases of measles
were admitted.
Three deaths occurred from whooping cough during the year,
giving a death-rate of 0.02 per thousand of population compared
with the death-rate for England and Wales of 0.07. There were
five deaths from measles giving a death-rate of 0.04 per thousand
of population. This rate compares very favourably with that
of 0.08 for England and Wales, that of 0.11 for the 118 Great Towns
and that of 0.19 for London.
health education.
In the Annual Report of 1931 an account was given of the
steps already taken to educate the public on all matters relating
to the preservation of the health of the individual and the bearing
of the individual well-being on that of the general community.
The only addition that need to be made to that account is that
during the past year much greater attention has been devoted
to giving instruction to the mothers attending the Health Centres
regarding the importance of the proper selection of food in relation
to health, more especially the health of young children. In this
instruction reference has been made to the recommendations
of the Advisory Committee on Nutrition of the Ministry of Health
which in 1931 issued a " Report on Diets in Poor Law Children's
Homes," and in December, 1931, a Memorandum on " The Criticism
and Improvement of Diets." A leaflet on the importance of
proper food in relation to health is being issued.