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HEALTH EDUCATION
During the year work on the education of the general public in matters of health and
hygiene continued by means of personal communication between Public Health Department
staff and individuals, talks to Associations illustrated by topical film strips, poster publicity,
and leaflet distribution.
The principal topics during the year for poster publicity were prevention of colds and
influenza, food hygiene, the benefits of sleep, fresh air and exercise, the danger from broken
milk bottles, and home safety, i.e. prevention of fire accidents and accidents to old people
by falling.
A great deal of publicity both National and local was given to the subject of vaccination
against poliomyelitis, and there is no doubt that this mass suggestion, combined with newspaper
publicity on individual cases of illness and death, had a powerful effect in inducing the
public to apply for protection.
A special campaign entitled " Guard that Fire " was set on foot by the Royal Society
for the Prevention of Accidents and Southall Borough Council supported by purchasing
publicity material and having it spread throughout the Borough as widely as possible— the
shopkeepers assisted by placing stickers with a bright colour and slogan in their windows.
HOME ACCIDENTS
The number who died as a result of accident other than motor vehicle accident rose
from 9 in 1957 to 14 in 1958. Of these accidental deaths five were the result of accident in
the home, and 6 from accidents in Hospital.
Of these eleven two were infants who died in a fire, one age 50 died from coal gas
poisoning. The other eight were over 70—seven of these (male 2, female 5) died after falls
and one from coal gas poisoning.
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