[Report 1962] / Medical Officer of Health, Edinburgh City.

  • Edinburgh (Scotland). City Council.
Date:
1962
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1962] / Medical Officer of Health, Edinburgh City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/274 (page 12)
    Less Tuberculous Infection. Winds of Change. Cleaner teeth after Campaign. The number of children absent from school for infectious disease was fewer than in the previous year, and the skin-testing of school- leavers showed a reduction in the number giving a positive tuberculin reaction and who were therefore especially prone to develop tubercu- losis. Thus, in 1062, positive reactors were only 11*9 per cent, as compared with 13-6 per cent, the previous year. J his is a welcome and significant reduction, especially when it is recalled that only eight years ago the proportion was as high as 30*5 per cent. It is also worthy of note that this year marked the introduction of oral vaccina- tion for protection against poliomyelitis. During the year efforts were made by talks and appropriate films to draw the attention of the older school pupils to the dangers of cigarette-smoking and to try and influence them against commencing the tobacco habit. Dr. Craik, however, stresses the difficulties of this type of health education, particularly wffien it has to compete with the intensive and insidious tobacco advertising and the fact that the child so often finds practice differing from precept. It is pleasing to note in the report the progress made.in improving the toilet accommodation and hand-washing facilities in some of the older schools although much more remains to be done. Improve- ments have already been effected in 13 schools and it is anticipated that next year modern arrangements will have been introduced to a further 22 schools. The School Health Service was introduced in the early vears of the present century and it has played a significant role in the promotion of health and prevention of illness in the school population. It is right, however, that consideration should now be given to the question of whether the passing years require changes in its emphasis and direction of effort. Thus, for example, present methods of routine examination of school-children deserve critical evaluation and during the year a pilot survey has been undertaken into the possibilities of replacing routine procedures at certain age groups by a closer link between the school medical officers and teachers and parents. Dental Services. During the year, the Chief Dental Officer and his staff were heavily engaged with the organisation, publicity and evaluation of the Dental Health Campaign referred to earlier in this introduction. Dental examination of a large group of children before and after the campaign showed that most of the children had learned the rules for dental health, that there had been an improvement in the cleanliness of their teeth, and that there had been an increase in the eating of fruit. Some time, however, must elapse before the long-term influence of the campaign can be assessed. Meantime it is intended to continue the propaganda used, for the five-year-old entrants.