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ought to have been visited had there been time to do so.
In spite of the very satisfactory decrease in the infant mortality
rate, one comes across yet many examples of the persistence
of the old errors in infant feeding and rearing. Long tube
bottles are not yet extinct, and the pernicious ''comforter"
will need to be waged war with for a long time to come.
I paid 102 visits in respect of an epidemic of ophthalmia
which occurred in one school in the Borough. The cases were
notified by the teachers. The method adopted was to secure
tickets for admission to the Medical Treatment Centre in
Rectory Place. Fortunately these were forthcoming through
the Care Committee Organiser for all those cases which needed
them, and these were the majority, for the school in question
is in a very poor district, and only very few of the children
affected were taken to private doctors or hospital. These
cases involved a great deal of work. It was first of all necessary
to visit the home on receiving the notification from the
school, and persuade the parents to apply for cards for the
Medical Treatment Centre. It was in most cases necessary
to visit again in order to impress upon the mother that she
must go on the day and at the hour stated on the card. Finally,
it was necessary to visit again, and see that she was carrying
out any home treatment that was ordered. On the occasion
of all three visits one, of course, urged precautions as to the
use of towels, etc. ; not with any great success, however, in
homes which could only boast of a single towel for common
use, and where 3 and 4 children slept in bed.
National Health Week was observed in the Borough from
April 26th to May 4th. In my opinion this movement, which
aims to concentrate public opinion upon matters relating to
health and the individual responsibility involved, is of great