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child was born without physical injury to the mother. More and
more attention is now being paid to the psychological aspectreassurance
of the mother and to the provision of gas and air
analgesia. It is noted that as from 1946 every pupil midwife must
be trained in the administration of this analgesia and all your
present staff of midwives have passed the qualifying examination.
Arrangements have been made whereby the supply of dried
milk and vitamins available at all the Health Centres has been
extended in scope. This is much appreciated by most of the
mothers and it is a scheme that may expand considerably in the
future.
In November, 1947, the Ealing proposals for a special scheme
for the training of health visitors received the approval of the
Minister of Health. Four student health visitors have been
accepted for training in the Authority's clinics and at the National
Health Society.
Perhaps the most ambitious project during this year has been
the proposals for the provision of two temporary health centres,
one in South Ealing and the second to serve the West Twyford
area. Suitable premises are available and the project has now
been placed before the Ministry of Health and the County Council.
These will provide Maternity and Child Welfare and School Health
services, including dental, in their respective areas.
There has been a tendency in recent years to suggest that the
control of infections, formerly regarded as the main duty of Medical
Officers of Health, is now an established fact and that Social
Health Workers can afford to transfer their attention to other
fields. This view may be convenient when financial allocations
under new legislation are under consideration, but it is in fact
untrue, and highly dangerous, as recent outbreaks of Poliomyelitis
and Smallpox show. Poliomyelitis, until about 17 years ago was
a sporadic disease, but since then it has appeared in epidemic
form, and it is hardly necessary to mention that in 1947 there
were far more cases of Poliomyelitis in this country than in any
previous year. Furthermore, there are no valid grounds for
assuming that the outbreak is an isolated phenomenon, unlikely
to recur, for measures for the control of this disease are far from
perfect and must have caused anxiety in Public Health Departments
recently.
The epidemic as it appeared in Ealing is described more fully
in the report of the Medical Superintendent of the Joint Hospital
Committee and it may be noted that the Clavponds Isolation
Hospital is one of the three hospitals that collaborated for the
purpose of producing the recent film on Poliomyelitis for the