[Report 1920] / Medical Officer of Health, Burnley County Borough.

  • Burnley (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1920
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1920] / Medical Officer of Health, Burnley County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    4/44 (page 4)
    None l)iit the paiX'iU ca.n ('ifcctuaJlv watcli a child, and we lia\a' to Ix' ('arefn! in prcAa’dinp^ a. cliiih' that Iht' jxuaaits do not coiru' to look u])on the Itdneatioii Authoritv as responsihh' for tlu- care (3f the health of their children, dlu' Authority ])ro\ade oiilv a means of treatment for ('ertain minor conditions which are not oth('r\\ase available', and is only for heljdny the parents and not i'eh(Ndn.y the'in ol th('i]' is s]X)nsibiliti(n Spe'akiny ye'iK'rally, tlu're is a coinjilete' svsU'in for the' nu'dical attention ol school children for an\' serious ailment, and v'liich any ])arent can put into oj)eration, when m'ca'ssarw In the first ])la('c', there' is the' paivnt’s own meefical man, and leir those nee'e'ssiteius chilelren whe) r(‘(|uire' treatment which is ne)t aA’ailable in the' home, there' is the hos])ital. 'I'lie staff of this institution includes an o])hthahnic. snrge'ein amel a ele'iital surge'on. 11 a child is suffering fresm an inh'ctious elise'ase' this inclneles tubercnleisis' the'U tlve bocal Sanitary Authority make the'inselsa's res])onsible‘ for elealing with it. In giving achdee to pare'iits for conelitieins eitlu'r than the' mineir eines ])re)viele'el feir at the (dinic, the parent is always recommended to se'e'k the' opinion of the'ir eiwn })ri\'ate medical man. d'his recommenelation is the' sounele'st that can be' give'ii iii the' interests of the child, for the gi\dng of aelvice or expressing an o])inion on a chdld’s cemdition, exce'pt wdth vein' great caution, Ipy a ?vledical Office'!' who will neit be called upon to treat it for that ceinditie)!!, is men'c likely to be harmful than helpful. Oilring the' 3'ear the Act eif 1918, refe'rring te) medical inspection of the chilelren of the se'ceindary sdioeils was put intei force. With this exteiisieni. of the' work e)f meefical inspectiem, it should be possible to gi\a' Ix'tter e'ffe'ct te) that part of the circular 1158 e)f the Board e)f Education vEeire it says : “ Wedical inspection is not an eiiel in itself. Its purpeise is to provide data upon w'hich approj^riate action, reme'dial eir preventive, can be leased. In the first jdace, such data are essential to an\' adequate, consideration of the many p)ro])lems concerned with the remo\'al of likely sources of future disablement or elefect, anel ge'nerally for attending to the health and ph3'sical condition of the ]nipils. Secondly, medical inspection ma\' re\'cal defects wdiich may re(]uire trt'atment. 'The })rimar\' responsibilit\' for securing treat- nK'ut rests with the pupil and his parents who, it may be anticipated, will fre(|uently be able to make tlieir own arningements.’' and “ d'lie .\uthorit\' should also consak'r the steps to lie taken to co-ordinate the worl'C with that of otlu'r local authf)rities or agX'iicies which are dirc'Ctlx’ concerned with the health of the po])ulation of the area ; notabb with the