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Visits are also paid to wholesalers in the market who deal in groceries,
tinned foods, etc., in connection with the condemnation of such of these goods
as are reckoned to be unfit for human consumption.
Sanitary facilities were increased during the year because of the growth
of this market, and a new sanitary block was provided during the year containing
4 water closets, 7 urinal stalls and 3 wash basins with hot and cold water,
HEALTH EDUCATION
Work in the education of the public in physical, mental and environmental
hygiene was continuous throughout the year. This education was carried on unceasingly
by person to person talks by the staff of the Public Health Department
to members of the public, to groups or associations, to employers and employees
in their places of business. It is believed that these personal conversations
are more memorable than the other forms of education which can be used, but
these, however, were not neglected, as leaflets and posters were used from time
to time on topical subjects. For instance, during the winter months the emphasis
was laid more on prevention of colds and Influenza and on personal cleanliness,
while in summer more stress was laid on the importance of careful handling
of food, the need for fresh air, sleep, and exercise, and all the year round
the topic of proper nutrition was kept well in the foreground.
At the beginning of the year a request was made by the Education Officer
and the School Meals Organiser for some assistance with the education in hygiene
of the canteen workers in the school canteens. Arrangements were made whereby
all the canteen workers were gathered together on a single occasion and at that
meeting the Medical Officer of Health gave a general talk on hygienic handling
of food. The talk was accompanied by the projection of a filmstrip in colour
prepared by the Medical Officer of Health of Ealing and was followed by a
discussion when many interesting points were raised by the canteen staffs.
Following this meeting the District Sanitary Inspectors visited the school
canteens so that the preliminary talk could be followed up by an explanation
of its application to the particular premises in which staff were working.
All this education produces no tangible result, there is nothing that can
be claimed as being the direct result of work on health education, but the real
evidence that the work is having its effect is in the absence of preventable
illness. While we cannot show by statistics that the general health of the
population is better in any one year than it was in the previous year, the
indications of lowered rates for death tuberculosis, and infectious disease
and freedom from epidemics of foodborne diseases are good signs that attention
is being paid to the rules of health.
HOME ACCIDENTS
A scheme for the notification of Home Accidents whereby hospital officers,
general practitioners and other health workers would send in a form of notification
when an accident occurring at home came to their notice, has not been
effective in practice. Although occasional notifications have been received
they have been few in number, and since during 1954, 13 persons died from
accidental causes other than motor vehicle injuries, it can be assumed that a
very much higher proportion received injuries that were not fatal, for instance
6 reports were received from Health Visitors concerning accidents occurring to
young infants, details of which are as follows:-
Female, aged 3 months - Fractured skull, caused by fall
from mother' s arms while being bathed.
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