Welsh Journals

THE WELSH NATIONAL MEMORIAL The Council of the Welsh National Memorial Association held its January quarterly meeting in Cardiff towards the end of that month, this being the first occasion for the executive body to visit the metropolis since the reconstitution of the Memorial Association under the Charter. It speaks much for the two months efficient working of the administra- tive machinery that the committee reports, many of them voluminous in character, which were submitted on that occasion, escaped all hostile criticism and found ready adoption. It was thus demonstrated that, in the ranks of the Association itself, there is absolute unanimity with reference to such con- troversial topics as the attitude of the Memorial Association towards the Pembrokeshire difficulty, and the firm stand taken in connection with the selection of the North Wales Sanatorium site. The Welsh Insurance Commissioners have arranged for a public enquiry relative to the site selected for a tuberculosis hospital at Talybont, Merionethshire, and a similar enquiry will be held with reference to the selection of Plas Llangwyfan as the site for the North Wales Sanatorium. It is hoped that the decisions with regard to these sites will be quickly arrived at, so that patients may not be kept waiting. In spite of these difficulties, for which the Association is not responsible, it is gradually and substantially increasing the number of beds at its disposal, both in hospitals and sanatoria. A contract will soon be let for the erection of a new hospital with 22 beds at Newtown, and tenders are shortly due for the erection of the South Wales Sanatorium at Pontywal near Talgarth. Mean- while, over 50 women patients are being treated in the existing mansion at Pontywal, while during the last fortnight beds for 30 additional male patients have been brought into use at the West Wales Sanatorium at Llanybyther. These additional 80 beds will enable the Association to deal with about 200 additional patients per annum in its Sanatoria. The medical staff of the Association has recently been materially strengthened by the appointment of two gentlemen, who have filled offices in Wales as medical officers of health, and who are moreover, Welsh speaking. The earlier appointments under the Association were criticised in some quarters, because of the lack of these qualifications in the officers selected. It is to be noted with pleasure, that among the three tuberculosis nurses appointed a few days ago, two are Welsh speaking, while the third has had experience of nursing in Wales. These are points which will appeal to the man in the street," who recognises as all must, that a knowledge of Welsh conditions, if not absolutely essential must be of considerable advantage in Wales. EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCES For the present theTuberculosis Exhibition has been withdrawn from circulation but the educational activities of the Memorial Association have by no means ceased. Conferences with school teachers are being arranged throughout the country for the discussions of health problems. The various Educa- tion Committees are being invited to close the schools for one day in each area, and to pay the travelling expenses of all the teachers to the nearest convenient centre. The subjects chosen for discussion are (a) the prevention of tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, (b) the reduction of infantile mortality, (c) the remedying of defects discovered by the School Medical Inspectors, and (d) home, school, and farm hygiene. The Education Committees of Cardigan, Carmarthen, Montgomery and Radnor have already agreed to the proposals. The conferences in Radnorshire were held in two centres-New Radnor and Llandrindod Wells-and, with the exception of two who were ill at the time, all the teachers in the county attended, as did also several members of the County Education Committee and the County Medical Officer-Dr. Pole-who originally suggested the holding of such conferences. At both centres luncheon for the teachers was provided at the expense of generous friends of education. One County Council (Brecon) suggests the holding of the conferences on Saturdays. The objection to this plan of course is that if the conferences were held when the schools were closed, only the zealous teachers attend, whereas if all the schools were closed and the travelling expenses paid, the attendance of every teacher would be expected. Similarly good work is being done by means of lectures in elementary schools up and down the Principality, all these being organised by the Memorial Staff. The Memorial Lecturers are, at the present moment, engaged in touring the elemen- tary schools of Pembrokeshire, Cardiganshire and Anglesey. Every school in Montgomeryshire has already been visited and the remaining counties of the Principality will be similarly visited in due course. Visits for a similar object are being paid also to intermediate schools, while active co-operation with the British Red Cross Society and the Nursing associations of North and South Wales has been secured. These associations organise meetings chiefly for women, and members of the Memorial Staff attend to deliver a lecture on health in the home and the prevention of disease. During February such lectures were delivered by Members of the Memorial Staff at Barry, Cardiff, Bridgend, Menai Bridge, Aberffraw, Amlwch, Henllan and many other centres.