The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

14 The Health Bulletin March 1951Visitors are limited to the father andgrandparents, who are allowed to visitwhenever they wish and may aid in thecare of the infant so long as they washtheir hands and are free from infection.A marked change in the attitude ofmany fathers toward their babies hasbeen noted by Dr. McBryde. "They beginto share the responsibility at onceand therefore do not feel that care oftheir infant is completely in the mother'sprovince dviring the early months."He concluded:"Now that such a large percentage ofinfants are born in hospitals, it behoovesall of us to make that process as safeand sane as possible. It is hoped thathospitals in the future will be builtwithout nurseries for normal newborninfants who are born of healthymothers."* :;: * *CANDY-LIKE RAT POISONSARE THREAT TO CHILDRENRat poisons disguised as candy-likesubstances, especially those containingthallium, are a real threat to children,according to an article in the AmericanJournal of Diseases of Children, publishedby the American Medical Association.Thallium, a poisonous metal, is especiallyeffective as a rodenticide becauseit is odorless and tasteless and easilytransformed into highly palatable concoctions.Drs. Clifford G. Grulee, Jr., of NewOrleans, and Earl H. Clark of Denver,authors of the article, after describingthe poisoning of four children who atea thallium compound thinking it wascandy, expressed the need for morecontrols in the use of the metal. All fourchildren attended the same pre-schoolnursery in Galveston.The doctors, formerly associated withthe University of Texas Medical Branchin Galveston, reported that there is nosatisfactory treatment for thallium poisoningand that two of the four childrenwho ate the poison died.Thallium poisoning, they said, is hardto diagnose, as the only characteristicsymptom attributed to it is baldness andthis usually does not develop until aboutthree weeks after swallowing. Untilbaldness appears, clinical findings arenot definite, although evidences of respiratorytract disease and central nervoussystem involvement may be present,they added.On investigation as to the source ofthe poison in this instance, it waslearned that the child who had offereda substance as "candy" to his companionslived next door to an exterminator.Further investigation showed that theexterminator used a mixtiore of thalloussulfate, cereal and syrup as a rodenticide,a practice common in that community."The insidious exposui'e and highmortality in the four cases reported,"said the doctors, "strongly emphasizethe dangers of and the need for furthercontrol in the use of thallium compounds."* * * -A-REPORT PHYSICIANPARTICIPATION IN SCHOOLHEALTH SERVICESA gratifying level of interest, understandingand participation in localschool health programs on the part oflocal medical societies is shown in asurvey by the Bureau of Health Educationof the American Medical Association,according to the Journal of theA.M.A.The results of the survey—made underthe direction of Donald Dukelow, M.D.,and Fred Hein, Ph.D., of the A.M.A.'sBureau of Health Education, Chicagowere compiled from more than 1,000returned questionnaires from local medicalsocieties throughout the country."In general," the Journal said "thereport shows that individual physiciansand medical societies are active in manyaspects of school health services."The poll revealed these facts:One third of the medical societies replyinghave a school health committee.One fourth of the communities haveschool health councils, almost all ofwhich include medical society representation.More than half of the medicalsocieties report school physicians mostlyon a part time basis. Eighty per centof the communities told of established