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where the individual seeks to evade his responsibilities by escapism,
or the development of ill-defined illness of mental, moral and
social outlook. To overcome these defects in our society there is
need of health education in greater measure than at present available.
Any Health Department worthy of the name should be
equipped with a sound health education programme in which all
the staff would take their part.
The Handicapped Pupil.—The maxim that the patient must
be treated as well as the disease from which he suffers is an old
one; it is more especially true today than ever before. Too often
has the social aspects of disease been neglected while the disease
itself was being remedied. In the past the handicapped were
left to decay and wilt in the old ill-kept Union Workhouse. Today
great progress has been made. When faced with a patient who
suffers from disease or disability, we shall be wanting in our duty,
unless we ensure that by modifying his outlook and his environment
in the right direction, we can enable him to take his place
in the community as a wage-earner, or as near that as his disability
will allow. Again, there is no need for complacency; the existing
schemes should be examined anew to see what further can be done
to raise the capacity of the wage-earner as far above the margin
of efficiency as possible.
The Functions of the Medical Officer of Health as
suggested by the Society of Medical Officers of Health.
" The Medical Officer of Health should be the leader of a
team of professional men and women trained and practised in
the application of preventive and social medicine. He should
co-ordinate their common task of protecting the community health.
" The Medical Officer of Health should be prepared to undertake
whatever duties the protection of the community health may
call for and no other boundary to his work should be recognised.
These duties may be at the office desk or in the Committee Room;
they may take him to the homes of the people, to schools and
factories or they may involve the administration of certain institutions
concerned with community health. In addition, he should
have special knowledge of clinical medicine in the treatment and
control of communicable diseases.
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