Economic and financial section > Problem of nutrition

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It sets out the methods of inspecting the various foodstuffs destined
for the various branches and draws attention to the severity and
efficacy of this inspection.
Dietetic Supervision in Hospitals and Hostels.
Article 7 of the Organic Law of August 7th, 1851, leaves it to the
Administrative Commission “ to direct and supervise the internal and
external services of hospitals and similar establishments
Article 8 (4) specifies that the Commission “ shall, subject to the
approval of the Prefect, establish the rules governing both internal
and external services and health . .
One of the main aims of the internal rules is to regulate diet and food
supplies.
The model set of rules adopted by the Conseil Sup6rieur de 1’Assistance
Publique and communicated to prefects in a circular, dated March 31st,
1926, gives very precise indications on this subject.
The steward and the doctor in charge of the case are responsible
respectively for food supplies and the patient’s diet.
Under Article 10 of the model rules, the steward’s duties are :
(1) To purchase, store and preserve foodstuffs and furniture of
every kind ;
(2) To distribute these foodstuffs and articles. He shall carry out
these duties under the supervision of the Managing Board.
Furthermore, under Article 12, doctors and surgeons must record,
in a special register, their prescriptions and the diet ordered for each
patient. After each visit, they must sign this register.
Chapter 10 of the rules is devoted to dietary questions.
Questions of diet are decided, in the hospital or hostel by the Managing
Board, “ in agreement with the medical staff of the establishment ”.
No change may be made until the medical staff has been consulted, the
opinion of such staff being expressly annexed to the “ Board’s decision
transmitted to the Prefect for approval ”. 1
The Ministerial Circular makes the following comments on this article,
which indicate certain aspects of the patient’s diet to which attention
should be paid :
“ The circular of June 26th, 1924, drew your attention to the
desirability of increasing the consumption of fish in public institu¬
tions.
“ The report of the Inspector-General for the year 1925 refers to the
economy effected by one national assistance establishment as a result
1 This decision must include a description, in the form of a table, of the dietary regime which the hospital
administration has prepared, in the light of its own experience, within the framework of the theoretical table
attached to the model rules.