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the prevention of spread, the isolation of the patient and the welfare of the family
to whom he belonged. Now we have only chest physicians who are concerned
with one part of the body and the cure of an individual.
Vaccination.
We shall soon be starting on the scheme for B.C.G. vaccination of school
children aged between 13 and 14. This procedure does not prevent them from
getting tuberculosis. It raises the immunity of the child so that the probability
of contracting uncontrollable tuberculosis is diminished. So far so good, but
we ought at the same time to be directing our efforts to the eradication of the
disease altogether. This is an epidemiological problem and ought to be tackled
on epidemiological lines. We must find the sources of infection and try to
prevent them spreading the disease to other people.
BACKACHE
The commonest cause of backache is injury and strain to the muscle tendons
and ligaments of the spine, especially in the lumbar region, and in those connecting
the sacral bone to the spine and hip. The cause is usually due to bending
down and lifting a heavy weight from the floor in the stooping position. If
you have to lift a heavy weight take care and thought; lift it from the squatting
position with knees bent rather than from the stooping position from the hips.
GIVING MEDICINES TO BABIES
In Bolton1 an enquiry was carried out to find out what remedies were given
to babies without medical advice; also to see what type of vitamins were given
and the frequency with which medical advice was sought. Teething powders
were given fairly frequently, aspirins moderately frequently, aperients were
given quite regularly to a good number, in some cases the infants had castor
oil and liquid paraffin. Boric acid was used as an ointment on some infants;
boric acid crystals for the prevention of soreness of the buttocks was used quite
commonly. The children who did not receive their full quota of vitamins were
in the poorest classes of the population. About three quarters of the babies
had attended their family doctor at some stage. Those who regularly attended
infant welfare centres, by far the most were in the upper middle classes and the
poorest attenders were in the poorest classes. It is obvious there is still need
for active education and encouragement to ensure that mothers bring their
babies regularly to welfare centres, so as to receive medical advice and teaching
in modern methods of mothercraft.
1 Bryant, H. (1955) Medical Officer, 94. 209.
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