[Report 1947] / Medical Officer of Health, Glasgow.

  • Glasgow (Scotland)
Date:
1947
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1947] / Medical Officer of Health, Glasgow. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    chest conditions, and, in October 1947, the Lord Provost, Sir Hector McNeill, opened the thoracic unit at Mearnskirk, the culmination of fifteen years of advance. Along with this progress in treatment we have seen improved diagnostic facilities in the form of modern X-ray plants in all our hospitals and the introduction of the mass radio- graphy unit. It is unfortunate that the war disturbed the downward trend of tuberculosis in this country as well as elsewhere, with the result that the number of new cases seeking treatment has increased by over 70 per cent, above pre-war figures and that the advantages of modern treatment are frequently offset by lack of accommodation in hospital. Glasgow can claim the distinction of designing and building at Provan in 1935 the first polyclinic in Britain. There, under one roof, clinics for maternity and child welfare, education health service, dental treatment and outdoor medical service are conducted. It should also be remembered that the Casualty Service of the city was organised during the war years by the Public Health Depart- ment, which was responsible for the formation of numerous First-Aid Posts and First-Aid Party Depots. The name of Dr. James Dunlop, who literally devoted all his time and energies to this work and who acted as an inspiration to the service, will long be remembered. No mention is made here of the comprehensive activities carried out by the Education Health Service, as its Annual Report is published separately. This Annual Report covers the last complete year of the activities of the Public Health Department prior to the coming into operation of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act, 1947. Although the hospitals will then pass from the control of the local authority, the principal operations of the public health service will go on more intensively than ever. Much has been accomplished in the control of the spread and severity of some of the infectious diseases, but many of the old problems still remain to be solved and new ones constantly appear to exercise the minds of the epidemiologists. For example, very little is yet known regarding the etiology and spread of acute anterior poliomyelitis which reached such serious proportions during the year, nor has any solution been found to prevent the periodic outbreaks of acute gastro-enteritis among infants. There is little doubt that bad housing is an important contributory factor in the causation of ill-health, but we may look forward to improved vital statistics as a result of the disappearance of those insanitary dwellings