[Report 1909] / Medical Officer of Health, West Riding of Yorkshire.

  • West Riding of Yorkshire (England). Council.
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1909] / Medical Officer of Health, West Riding of Yorkshire. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/84 (page 8)
    School Hygiene, Etc.—The County Health Department maintains a close connection with the schools in the Riding, and, indeed, the work done in connection with the health of scholars absorbs a large share of the Department’s activities, apart en¬ tirely from the statutory medical inspection of school children. The last-named undertaking is, of course, in the hands of the Education Committee, for wliom the County Medical Officer acts as School Medical Officer, with a special staff of whole-time medical inspectors. For details of that work during 1909, includ¬ ing the results of over 63,000 medical examinations, reference must be made to the Annual Report of the School Medical Officer. It is a pleasure to record that the relations between the Central Department, the School Medical Inspectors, and the Local Medical Officers of Health have been throughout the year cordial and mutually helpful. The Government Memorandum, issued in 1909, seems to require the local medical officer of health to refer to the school medical officer on all occasions before moving for the closure of schools or the exclusion of scholars on account of infectious disease. This plan, however, could never be worked in the West Riding Education area, and therefore it is intended to adhere to past practice. The local medical officer of health is recognised as having undiminished powers and responsibilities in regard to the control of infectious disease in schools, and it is the policy of the County Health Department to assist him in every possible way. During the year many interviews took place with the local medical officers at the schools, and consultations were frequently held as to the course of action required in the face of a threatened epidemic among the scholars. No less than 1428 throat-swabs were collected in the schools and examined in the Public Health Laboratory. Midwives Act.—The work of supervising the TOO practising midwives was conducted from the County Health Department on customary lines, the women being periodically visited and interro¬ gated as to their method of work. Their books and outfits are examined, and any departures from the Rules of the Central Mid¬ wives Board are pointed out and explained. The number of visits so paid during 1909 was 1049, and the letters of caution addressed to midwives reached 98, as compared with 320 in the previous year. This reduction in the number of cases calling for written caution is due to the better understanding of the Rules by the midwives—resulting, to a large extent,, from the lectures or “talks” to midwives which were organised at different centres during the year. No less than 398 midwives attended these meet¬ ings, where they had the opportunity of putting questions to the Assistant County Medical Officers on any points of doubt or diffi¬ culty. The lectures were repeated at 16 centres, and on the average there were 25 women present on each occasion.