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105
in the teaching of health education. However, there
are certain aspects of health education which cannot
be carried out through these clinics because they
affect the public in general.
During the last three months of 1959 a "Check
that Fall" campaign was carried out. The reason for
this campaign was that the fatality figures from falls
in the home in England and Wales were roughly 6,000
a year, and on analysing them, over 90% of these
fatalities occurred in people over 65 years of age. I
felt that it would be of little use directing the campaign
to the public in general, and I therefore convened
a meeting at the Town Hall, inviting 20 people
who were leaders of Old People's Organisations. After
the illustrated lecture I was surprised at the enthusiasm
shown. The leaders suggested that I should
visit each of their clubs and give a lecture on the
prevention of falls. Fifteen lectures were given and
the attendance at each lecture was between 80 and 100.
This was most gratifying, because these people belonged
to the particular age group in which fatalities
from falls occurred. They were a very stimulating
audience and asked many practical questions after
each lecture. Posters were displayed in different
parts of the Town and the Clergy helped us in bringing
to the notice of their congregations the fatalities from
falls in the home. Although the campaign itself was
directed to the over 65's, children under the age of
five also suffer fatal accidents from falls in the
home. Talks were given in the infant welfare centres
about falls and posters were also displayed, drawing
attention to the dangers to children of falls in the
home.
The poliomyelitis immunisation figures in Ilford
for the ages 15 - 25 are very poor. They amount to
roughly 33% of the population. In an effort to improve
these figures I decided to have a short intensive campaign
with heavy publicity. Before the campaign began
I personally saw all the managers of the shops in
the High Road and most of them in the Cranbrook
Road. I explained to them the position about the poor
response to poliomyelitis immunisation and the
majority of the managers were willing to co-operate.
At a pre-determined time all these shopkeepers were