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long periods of hard work will be impossible; the onset of fatigue comes earlier
than it need do; and in spite of the best will in the world, the body and mind
rebel against circumstances over-exacting and exhausting. So we get into a
vicious circle; the lessened ability to produce brings with it a lessened ability
to obtain a first-class diet for the whole population; food and goods are in
constant short supply; controls are imposed with their maddening formalities,
so that the efficiency of the people, already lessened, is still further impaired
by mental and physical weariness.
In Canada and U.S.A. it is possible—it is indeed quite common—for people
to work really hard all day long on two meals a day—breakfast and evening
dinner. For lunch they can manage with a cup of coffee and a sandwich. The
reason is that the ingredients of their diet have more sustaining qualities
and more fatigue-preventing substances than we have in our diet here.
They that Grow Old.
The Burden of Old Age.
I have already referred to the growing number of elderly people in our
Borough. Every year my staff and I are called upon to deal with numerous
problems these people give rise to. The natural onset of old age is the stage
at which the physical independence of adult life becomes so compromised
as to limit the activity of the aged person. After age 70, the proportion of
women who can manage their own houses becomes less and less. With advancing
years there is often mental deterioration; so that in both sexes very few escape
the stage of second childhood. About one in ten of all old people require
constant domestic care from other people. This care causes quite severe strain
and often deprives those who look after the elderly of any chance of a normal
life. There must be more than a thousand families in the town where this is
happening now.
In cases where family care has failed for any reason, the deterioration in
social conditions rapidly becomes serious. I was called to see a man well over
60 years of age who was ill and whose wife was in hospital. They had previously
taken in and cared for the man's mother who was aged 93. They lived in an
upstairs flat; the aged mother had insisted in having her own room; she
attempted to maintain herself as independently as she could, doing her own
ineffectual cooking on a gas ring, and attempting to do her own housework.
At the time I saw these two, the man was in one bedroom, helpless and ill,
and the old woman was in another room. Her circumstances were deplorable.
The room was indescribably filthy, scraps of food were mouldy on the table;
milk in a bottle stood sour and untouched. Although it was winter, she had
no fire. She was lying on the floor, was unable to get into or out of bed, or
go to the toilet. She must have fallen and injured herself and was too helpless
to get up. She was literally starving, having had no food for days and certainly
an inadequate diet for months. There was a smell of gas in the room. The
gas-ring tap was on, but mercifully the meter had run out.
A practitioner was called, but he could not deal with these conditions.
We sent in a home help who was willing to look after the man, but she was
revolted and frightened of the old woman. As best we could we tidied up
the woman's room, got her into bed and tried to give her some food. Because of
the acute shortage of beds in hospitals for old people, I was unable to get her
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