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both illogical and unfortunate, but the facts are to some extent
understandable and must be accepted.
When a child develops poliomyelitis, or when an adult is
rushed to hospital with acute appendicitis, the whole family is
acutely aware of the emergency, and equally grateful for the
remedial measures undertaken. It is not so with preventive medi
cine. Too often the public is to a great extent oblivious of the
work being carried cut on its behalf in the realm of public health.
It is here that health education can and should play such a vital
part There are certainly pitfalls We must avoid creating a nation
of hypochondriacs who are constantly dwelling upon the ills which
might befall them We must equally avoid placing too much stress
on aspects of health which have comparatively little significance.
Our duty must be to enlighten the public on matters which vitally
concern them, to choose our material with loving care, to establish
and review from time to time our programme of priorities
We should make quite certain that the services available to
the public are fully known and understood We should draw attention
to factors which have topical interest and are of immediate
significance, e g measles and influenza outbreaks the existence
of food poisoning or dysentery We should endeavour by every means
available to stress the fundamental principles upon which a
healthy individual and community are based Lastly,we should try
to concentrate on those age groups and sections of the community
which are most in need of education in its widest sense, without
making the cardinal mistake of always preaching to the converted
and so neglecting those groups which are most difficult to reach
Our health education programme in Wood Green is. I venture
to say reasonably comprehensive.Apart from the work carried octot
from day to day by our Sanitary Inspectors, and so far as the
County Council is concerned by Health Visitors both in the
clinic and in the home, the Council will be aware that numerous
talks and health film shows are given during the year, while
articles appear from time to time in the local press We are
extending our work in the schools,a field of paramount importance:
while we undertake special campaigns from time to time, designed
to focus attention on important aspects of health and the prev
ention of disease.
It must be realised that the results of our efforts are not
readily discernible We cannot say that for a certain expenditure,
we can guarantee certain results, Nor, although we believe this
to be the case can we say that our expenditure on health education
has saved the community a given sum of money What we can
and do claim is that a progressive policy of health education
sill be followed either immediately or over the years by results
which have quite incalculable value If these results are some
times intangible at least for a period their value is not there
by diminished When one remembers the infinitesimal sums being
expended on health education, as compared with other branches of
local government expenditure, and when one realises that health
education lies at the very root of a healthy community.the argu
ments in its favour are surely undeniable.
It must also be clear that Wood Green is in many ways an
excellent district in which to put into operation an enlightened
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