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9
Establishments for Massage and Special Treatment
The registration of' establishments for massage and special treatment is delegated to the Borough
Council under Part XII of the Middlesex County Act, 1944.
During the year there were 20 licences renewed and 2 new licences issued. In one case exemption
from licensing was claimed under the Act for a registered member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
All premises have been inspected and found satisfactory.
Health Education
The cost of the health services is still mounting because of the increased expenditure on hospitals
and other curative services. Unless more attention is paid to prevention, the health services may well be
heading for serious financial difficulties. An enlightened citizen, with a knowledge of the principles of
health and practising the simple rules of hygiene, can play an active part in improving the health services
of an area.
The department has based its health education mainly on 42 lectures with 40 films and filmstrips.
As far as possible, health education in the schools is linked with a hygiene or biology syllabus. Brains trusts
are held at the end of each term, and the school children always display a keen interest and show clearly
that they are gaining much useful knowledge of health.
Altogether, 208 health talks and film shows were given in 19 schools by the Area Medical Officer
and members of his staff, and the Chief Sanitary Inspector and his staff. 1,310 school children attended
these lectures with attendances of 30 to 200 pupils.
A well-informed mother is usually a capable mother. Caring adequately for her infant, she can
relieve general practitioners and hospitals of some of their heavy burdens in dealing with the sick. There is
no doubt that maternal and child welfare continue to play an important role in reducing illness and even death
among mothers and children.
110 mothercraft classes were held at the three clinics and many talks (some with filmstrips) were
given by doctors, health visitors, midwives and clinic nurses. Advice and help were also given to 8,412
mothers in their own homes by the health visitors during their routine visits.
Mothers clubs, which were commenced in June, 1953, have been much appreciated. Talks were
given on subjects such as health, cookery, sewing, chiropody, home nursing, first aid, travel, and make-up.
The clubs have been held weekly at Kilburn Health Clinic.
The day nurseries are also important meeting places for health workers and the public. Here,
the staff and parents can come together and discuss the health of children under their care. At the 9 day
nursery parent clubs, 5 health talks were given by the Area Medical Officer and his staff, and 12 other
meetings and social evenings were arranged.
Health workers themselves need post-graduate education. Health education films were shown
and lectures given, often by outside lecturers, to separate meetings of doctors, sanitary inspectors, health
visitors, and day nursery matrons and their deputies. The meetings are held regularly, and the interesting
discussions that follow many of them have been most valuable and keep staff abreast with recent advances
in technique in their special subjects. A summer school in Health Education was arranged by the Central
Council for Health Education and held at Bangor from 16th to 26th August, 1955. The Council sent the
Deputy Chief Sanitary Inspector as their representative, and much useful information was gained and
passed on to his colleagues.
During the year a party of students studying at the University of London Institute of Education
for the Diploma in Health Education visited Willesden on several occasions in order to gain practical
experience.
Religious, social, and political organisations continue to apply to the department for health
lectures and all their requests have been answered. 18 talks were given to 17 organisations on 10 different
subjects. 620 people attended the lectures, with attendances ranging from 10 to 50.
The extension of' the habit of television-viewing has seriously affected attendance of audiences at
meetings. This particularly applies to health education and new measures have to be considered to overcome
the difficulty.
For the past seven years health talks on a variety of subjects have been given to religious, social
and political organisations, trade unions, and many clubs. The audiences have varied from about 20 to 80,
but there has been a tendency for them to be less in the past year.
One or two talks had already been given in factories by special request from the management, and
it was thought that a ready and perhaps willing audience could be found there. At the end of 1954 it was
decided to explore the possibility of giving health talks to factory staff during lunch hour breaks. Several
factory managements were approached and the response was most encouraging. Four talks were given by the
Medical Officer of Health to approximately 2,400 factory workers, the attendances ranging from 400 to 1,000.
A new drive was made in 1955, and in the first six months of the year, 14 talks were given in
factories on subjects including Influenza, Coughs and Colds; Cancer; Mass Miniature Radiography; A
Good Meal; Accidents Will Happen; and Poisoned Fingers.
With the outbreak of poliomyelitis in the beginning of July, 1955, a new stimulus was given to
this work. Most factories were only too willing to provide facilities for a talk on this subject, and some
of them approached the department direct.
Altogether, by the end of the year, 112 talks in 77 factories were given by the medical officer of
health and the deputy medical officer of health. Approximately 27,200 factory workers attended the talks