Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Leyton]
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Exhibition" with supplementary photographs appearing on other pages. It was of course imposs
ible within the confines of an exhibition hall to have on display all aspects of the manifold
duties and responsibilities of the Local Sanitary Authority in relation to the control
of the Environmental Health Services but it is hoped that the subjects which were featured,
namely- Clean Air, Clean Food, Rodent and Insect Pest Control, Housing Improvements and
Conversions, Slum Clearance, Diary of a Public Health Inspector. Home Safety, etc., were
portrayed in such a manner and in such detail as to stimulate the civic interest of the
rate-payers and others in the work of the Public Health Department, and to give some indi
cation of the problems confronting the Council; how such problems affect the community at
large and to what extent the individual can play his part towards better environmental
conditions and communal relationship. Just how far we were successful in achieving our objective
is of course difficult to say but judging from the large number of people who
visited the Exhibition, the measure of support received from members of the Council and
from various organisations in the Borough, and the favourable comments made in the local
and national press there is good reason to believe that we were at least successful in
capturing the interest of a large section of the community. We would very much like to
think that the following comment made by a school girl in a prize winning essay about the
Exhibition is typical of what most people who visited the Exhibition would have said had
they been asked:
"From this fine and well organised exhibition I learnt
more about how Leyton*s public health service is run. I did
not realise how much energy and expense is put in to this
service for the benefit of Leyton residents. I can now say
that Leyton is doing an excellent and worthwhile job for the
welfare of her residents. That afternoon proved not only
practical, but very enjoyable."
Many verbal and written tributes to the undoubted success of the Exhibition were in
fact received from various quarters.
During the year the Medical Officer of Health and the Chief Public Health Inspector
gave several health education talks to various organisations.
Health education is not however concerned solely with public exhibitions, lectures
to organised groups of people, etc. Health education forms a valuable and important part
of a Public Health Inspector's routine day to day work on the district, he performs his
statutory duties as a designated officer under the various Acts Statutory Orders and
Regulations introduced by Parliament to protect the health and welfare of the community
and to promote satisfactory environmental conditions, by constant investigations, by per
suasion and by educational methods. In the cause of clean air. clean and safe food and the
betterment of environmental conditions in houses, shops, factories work shops, places of
public entertainment, etc., and in the promotion of congenial communal relationship he is
continually practising health education in a personal and practical way by giving advice
and instruction on the spot-it is only as a last resort that he uses his statutory
powers by way of legal enforcement.
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA-
PART II-STATISTICS
Reference has been made in the preceding paragraphs to the following tables and charts
giving details in tabular form of the action taken and visits made by the Public Health
Inspectorate pursuaht to their statutory duties and responsibilities.
(33)