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11
The foregoing- list is not intended to be an exhaustive
one giving details of all official documents which bear upon
the work of the Health Department, and therefore should
be regarded as a record only of the most important ones
issued during 1936.
Two prominent activities during the year have been
the publicity given to the need of generalised physical
training and the promotion of knowledge and practice of
correct nutrition of the people. As both of these factors
play an important part in every day health, they must
be closely allied to the services of the Local Sanitary
Authority. One does, however, feel that there is a
tendency to exaggeration, both in the press and on public
platforms of the low state of nutrition of the nation, but
it is significant that diseases, such as tuberculosis,
associated with under-nourishment are actually declining
in incidence while diseases largely due to over-nourishment,
such as cardio-vascular disease and diabetes, are
increasing. Nevertheless much new knowledge in the
scientific principles of correct feeding and the prevention
of diseases has been developed within recent years, but
has not yet been put into practice. One finds for example
that when the family income suffers reduction the first
item to be curtailed is the quality and quantity of food
purchased—milk is deleted from the dietary thus depriving
the individual of one of the basic foods.
As a palliative to the ill-effects of sedentary life and
work of to-day, physical training must be encouraged.
There are many who seek recreation by watching others
at games, and mental relaxation is sought in closely
crowded indoor amusements. The speed of life which
modern times require of us, and the fact that we work,
travel and amuse ourselves in crowded conditions, must
tend to increase mass infection and physical and mental
ill-health. We cannot change our mode of life, thus we
must continue to stress the need for open air exercise and
sound nutrition.
Air raid precautions placed a voluntary service upon
the Officers of the Department, but it is found increasingly
difficult to give adequate time to these services.
Preliminary advice has been tendered, and a beginning