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when full information was readily forthcoming. This is another
example of the valuable co-operation which can and should exist
between the Medical Officer of Health and the general practitioner.
(c) Accidents in the Home.
As the Public Health Department is keenly interested in any
factors which influence health, or which are likely to be followed
by a state of ill-health, the question of accidents in the home has
received attention.
After full consideration, I came to the conclusion that accidents
in the home was a subject which properly belonged in the
main to the personal health services, and which should primarily
be considered as part of my duties as Area Medical Officer.
Although the Borough Council has always shown a keen interest
in this most important subject, it will be appreciated that, to avoid
over-lapping, a problem of this nature and magnitude must of
necessity be given the force of single direction. As I am Area
Medical Officer as well as Medical Officer of Health for Southgate
and could, therefore, easily correlate the campaign, this presented
no difficulty.
During the year, we accepted the offer of an attractive booklet
setting out in considerable detail hazards in the home, what they
were and how they could be avoided. This booklet was published
on behalf of the Area Health Committee, but had a cover design
incorporating the Coat of Arms of the Boroughs and Urban District
Councils included in Area No. 2. Distribution of the booklet,
which proved most acceptable to parents and to burgesses generally,
was undertaken by the Public Health Department, the Area Health
Office, clinics and libraries.
I have also taken the opportunity to refer to accidents in the
home, indeed to accidents generally, in various articles which I
wrote for "Better Health" and which, with the usual courtesy of
the Editors of our local press, have appeared from time to time in
local papers.
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