London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Enfield 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Enfield]
This page requires JavaScript
Continued from previous page...
| 7. Girl. | Breast fed in infancy. Appetite good. Eats regularly raw fruit and raw vegetables. Cod liver oil in winter. Few sweets. Brushes teeth daily. | General health good. Measles at age 4. | Mother's teeth good. Teeth of sister aged 6 years always free from caries. Bottle fed —other particulars same as sister. |
| 8. Girl. | Breast fed in infancy. Appetite good. Eats regularly raw fruit and raw vegetables. Has sweets occasionally. Brushes teeth regularly- | General health good. Measles at age 6. | Mother's teeth fair. Teeth of sister aged 15 always free from caries, excepting one permanent molar filled. |
| 9. Boy. | Bottle fed in infancy. Appetite good. Eats regularly raw fruit and raw vegetables. Large quantity of milk taken since age of 18 months cold in summer hot in winter. Brushes teeth rarely. | General health good. Scarlet fever at age 5. Measles at age 10. | Mother's teeth fair. |
A considerable number of children of other ages were also found
to have teeth naturally free from dental caries, and particulars
obtained respecting them were similar to those given relating to
children in the 12—13 years age group.
A typical example was a family of five children aged 5—10 years
whose teeth had always been free from caries, with the exception of
two children who had each had superficial caries in two teeth.
There is strong evidence that if the diet of children is so
controlled that carbo-hydrate stasis is avoided as far as possible
the incidence of dental caries is much reduced. Complete freedom