London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1908
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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At Montpelier House the final weighings of the children were made at the end of February, 1909, and are therefore not tabulated with the others. The standard children are shown compared, and in this school there appears to be a considerable gain retained.
| Age last birthday. | Montpelier House. | Standard London council school children. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight on admission. | Gain in weight on leaving 21 weeks later. | Gain in weight 9 months after admission. | Weight in middle of year of age. | Gain in weight 9 months later. | |
| Boys— | |||||
| 8 | 25.7 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 23.47 | 1.4 |
| 9 | 23.0 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 25.46 | 1.6 |
| 10 | 26.9 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 27.59 | 1.6 |
| 11 | 27.2 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 29.95 | 2.1 |
| 12 | 27.9 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 32.46 | 2.6 |
| 13 | - | - | - | 36.40 | 2.4 |
| Girls— | |||||
| 8 | 20.8 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 22.92 | 1.5 |
| 9 | 22.7 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 25.00 | 1.7 |
| 10 | 25. 1 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 27.16 | 2.0 |
| 11 | 27.6 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 29.87 | 2.6 |
| 12 | 25.4 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 33.32 | 3.0 |
| 13 | 32.3 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 37.71 | 3.3 |
Table showing weights in kilograms, gain in weight whilst in open-air school, and gain nine months after
admission, as compared with standard children.
Haemoglobin Estimations.—The haemoglobin estimates show definitely that the pallor,
which was one of the symptoms which weighed in the selection of children, was the result of considerable
anaemia ; the boys were more deficient in haemoglobin than the girls, the greatest deficiency
being amongst the ten-year-old boys, who were also of such poor physique, deficiency in haemoglobin
amounting to 28.4 per cent. The average amount of haemoglobin (100 being taken as normal)
in boys was 74, and amongst girls 75 6, while the actual average increase of haemoglobin amongst boys
in six weeks was 4, whilst amongst girls it was 4.75. These estimations are of great value, as whilst
weighings show the quantity of increased nutrition, the percentage of haemoglobin to the normal shows
the quality of the gain.
At Bostall Woods the interval between the estimations was six weeks ; at the other three schools
the interval was 16 to 19 weeks, and the increase was greater. In the following account all the numbers
relating to haemoglobin refer to Tallquist's scale, in which 100 is taken as the normal. There were great
divergencies between the individual schools at the first estimation, varying from 65 among girls at
Birley House to 79 amongst boys at Montpelier House. The final estimations, however, were so close
(from 82.5 amongst boys at Shrewsbury House to 87 amongst boys at Montpelier House) as to show •
less than 5 variation in the different groups, this being quite within the margin of unavoidable error.
The least average gain (8) was found amongst the boys at Montpelier House, who were best at the outset, and the girls at Shrewsbury House; the highest average gain (23) was amongst girls at Birley House, who were worst at the outset.
| School. | Number. | Haemoglobin average. | Average increase per cent. | Number showing decrease. | Number stationary. | Numbers showing improvement. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission, J une. | When school closed, October. | Below 10. | 10 to 20. | 20 and upwards. | |||||
| Montpelier House— Boys | 35 | 79 | 87 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 16 | 2 |
| Girls | 40 | 76 | 86 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 22 | 3 |
| Shrewsbury House— Boys | 33 | 74 | 82.5 | 8.5 | - | 1 | 11 | 21 | - |
| Girls | 40 | 75 | 83 | 8 | - | 2 | 14 | 24 | - |
| Birley House— Boys | 36 | 68 | 88 | 20 | - | 1 | - | 7 | 28 |
| Girls | 46 | 65 | 88 | 23 | - | - | - | 11 | 35 |
| Total | 230 | - | - | - | 3 | 6 | 52 | 101 | 68 |
Table showing percentage of haemoglobin (normal 100) in open-air school children.