234 MEDICAL SECTION 



MEDICAL SECTION. 



FIRST SESSION, AUGUST 4. 



The first session of the Medical Section was held under 

 the Presidency of the Rt. Hon. J. PEASE, M.P. (President 

 of the Board of Education). 



CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS. 



The Rt. Hon. JOSEPH PEASE, M.P., said: Ladies and 

 Gentlemen, You have listened to a speech by the President 

 of the Local Government Board, as naturally questions 

 connected with hygiene and sanitation come under his 

 Department. We of the Board of Education realize that 

 the physical conditions of the people are the essential pre- 

 liminary to the imparting of education, and that therefore 

 we are closely associated with anything which is calculated 

 to diminish the rate of infantile mortality or to promote 

 a healthier condition in the children of the country for 

 whose education we are directly or indirectly responsible. 

 To-day I intend, in presiding over this section, to make 

 my remarks as short as I can, as we have a large number 

 of papers to discuss. But might I just reciprocate the kind 

 sentiment of greeting which has been expressed by some 

 of our colleagues from over the seas at the meeting in 

 the large hall ? May I also express to those who are about 

 to read the papers our sense of indebtedness to them for 

 so kindly sharing their opinions with us, which they have 

 obtained after much study and prolonged experience, and 

 which they have taken great trouble in preparing so that 

 they can be placed before us for the benefit of the Congress 

 and for the benefit of the human race as a whole ? I repre- 

 sent in the educational world the Government in so far as 

 education is concerned in England and Wales. We have 

 to realize that during the last few years there has been a 

 considerable reduction in the rate of infant mortality from 

 145 per thousand in 1902 to 95 per thousand in the year 

 which has just passed. Well, the decrease has been attri- 

 butable to two causes perhaps some slight improvement 

 in the physical condition of child-bearing mothers, but more, 

 I believe, to better infant care and management. Ignorance 

 is at the root of a great deal of preventible infant mortality, 

 and that is where education comes in. We at the Board 

 of Education have endeavoured to disseminate information 

 through the schools. We do what we can to create a 

 healthy public opinion, and we have done what we can 

 also to encourage schools for mothers, and I am glad 



