Report of the Committee of Management and Medical Director : 1940 / Papworth Village Settlement.

  • Papworth Village Settlement (Cambridge, England)
Date:
1940
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Committee of Management and Medical Director : 1940 / Papworth Village Settlement. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    8/28 (page 6)
    Radiology is of the utmost value in observing the progress of the process of healing. On this fitment different X-ray photographs can be compared simultaneously. Dr. Watson attended at intervals and examined 95 patients of whom 76 were refractions. Ear, throat and nose cases had the advantage of Mr. Hamblen-Thomas’s services at the weekly clinics held at Addenbrooke’s Hospital where all ambulant cases were seen. Dr. Canney was good enough to see several cases, who derived much benefit from his valuable advice and aid at his Gynaecological and Ante-Natal Clinics. THE VILLAGE The Village has had a year which is re¬ markable for its freedom from the bad effects which might have been expected as a result of war-time conditions such as billeting or rationing. Londoners have taken refuge with relatives who have cottages at Pa'pworth; but mercifully they have brought no epidemics or other disasters, beyond the capacity of the village medical service. All children, in¬ cluding visitingchildren, have been inoculated against diphtheria and, in association with the School Medical Officer, the two-injection system—which has had no unpleasant after¬ effects whatever the age—has been used. The end of the year administered a mis¬ chievous shock to our pride by presenting us with a small epidemic of measles in a mild form; but this fortunately passed without any complications. The absence of epidemics of influenza and the common cold Is worthy of mention, for the figures are lower than in peace time. I can give no special reason for this. It may perhaps be a psychological reaction to the gravity of the times in which we live. In comparison with large scale international complications a cold or influenza may appear more as an irritant than an illness, and the mechanism of resistance may therefore come into play earlier and with greater effect than in normal times. In any case any such resistance has a firm foundation upon which to build; for the economic security of the wage-earners in our factories appears effec¬ tively to guarantee a good sound level of nutrition in their homes. Eleven children were born in the village during the year and all are in perfect health. Once again I am able to record the absence in our children of any signs of active tuber- cu'osis. The independent survey of the vast mass of clinical material on this point, cover¬ ing the last twenty-one years, has been completed and will be published in the coming .. year. High Standard of Nutrition. Rationing of food is showing that our housewives are by no means unable to im¬ provise, and the visits of Ministry of Food Cookery demonstrators arranged by Matron have given an impulse bordering on enthusi¬ asm to their determination to.keep up their household standard of nutrition. The absence of lemons and oranges for the young children is perhaps the most disturbing problem; and well known vitamin preparations have been [6]'I - .