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was transferred to the County Council, who provide a Health Visitor
and grant a subsidy towards the Welfare Centre. At present the
majority of those attending are seen at the Centre in South
Chingford.
Advice is given as to feeding, clothing, and general care.
Patterns of clothes are provided and the children weighed.
The steady growth of this Clinic is in large measure due to the
very able and conscientious work of Dr. Billing and his helpers
during the past five years. Probably no branch of Public Health
work presents so many difficulties or requires so much care and tact
in its formation and successful continuance.
The decline in Infantile Mortality for this country is a testimony
to the excellent work undertaken at these Centres and demands
an even greater interest than that already shown.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.—One case of Ophthalmia Neonatorum
was notified nine days after birth. The affection was slight and no
impairment of vision resulted.
GENERAL.
It is evident from a consideration of the above statistics that
the health of Chingford is exceedingly satisfactory and compares
most favourably with any other Urban District of its size throughout
the country.
Owing to its proximity to a great city, and especially to largelypopulated
areas, some relationship might be expected to exist between
epidemics occurring therein. Its marked amenability from these influences
could certainly appear to be due to some extent to its favourable
situation and rural environment.
Our present system of Public Health administration places the
onus of certain measures on the Local Authority, and in other cases
relegates the carrying out of provisions to the County Council.
A comprehensive knowledge of local public health matters can
best be obtained by a close association with those more widely adopted
schemes in which the County functions as a whole.
It is doubtless an advantage that all such duties should be coordinated
in one medical officer responsible to both Authorities.
Whilst thus affording to a medical officer, wholly engaged in
public health work, a greater opportunity of keeping in touch with
methods of progress, it should ensure a centralization of duties and
increased efficiency in administration.