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or without an accompanying film show. Health
education in Friern Barnet is closely bound up with
the work carried out by the staff of the Middlesex
County Council, Health Visitors, Dr. Campbell, my
Deputy, or myself, according to the type of talk
required and the special abilities of each section
of the staff to undertake these duties. Abundant
leaflets, bookmarks, etc., on health matters are
available both in the Public Health Department, in
the Area Health Office, and also in our Clinics and
County Libraries. When any particular subject
calls for the display of posters, this method of
propaganda is utilised to the full. Altogether,
as I have said so often, the neglect of health
education is a major blunder. Fortunately, Friern
Barnet has never fallen into this pitfall.
As the Council may be aware, I have been
a regular monthly contributor to the magazine "Better
Health" since 1%S. I like to think that these
articles are extensively read and that, as the articles
are syndicated in many parts of the world, the name
of Friern Barnet is being widely publicised outside
this country. This may appear in many ways a trivial
matter, but it still gives me great pleasure to think
that so many articles, which carry my name and the
designation of the three districts for which I act as
Medical Officer of Health, are being so widely circulated.
Although the vital significance of the
connection between smoking and health, not only lung
cancer but also bronchitis, coronary thrombosis and such
diseases as gastric ulcers, has only exploded into the
public consciousness within the past few months, this
problem has been before us for many years, certainly
since the issue of the Registrar General's statistical
report which proved conclusively that such a connection
did exist. A full report on this subject more properly
belongs to the Annual Report for 1962, but I make no
apology for mentioning such an extremely important
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