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These meals can be supplied at 7d. a day to any elementary school child. During December
195 necessitous children received dinners free, and one other case was assessed to pay one fourth
of the cost.
SPECIAL REPORT ON MILK CASES.
Since the initiation in 1933 of special arrangements for the supply of milk to school children
on medical grounds, the number recommended has been 289.
Of these, the records of 242 have been considered, the remainder having had milk for less
than 4 months, an insufficient period on which to form an estimate of progress. Of these 242
children, 146 had been getting 2 bottles of milk a day for a longer period than 4 months (the
majority over a year), 50 were getting a third of a pint only per day, and the remaining A6 had not
had milk for various reasons.
An attempt was made to assess the improvement, or otherwise, in the physical condition of
all these children since the date of the examination when they were first recommended for milk
on medical grounds. All factors were, as far as possible, taken into account in this estimation;
thus, the change in appearance, as judged by the elasticity of the skin, the subcutaneous fat, colour
of mucous membranes, the hair, etc., the increase in weight—and whether the general health was
reported to have improved. No laboratory estimations were done, with the exception of 2 or 3
cases in which a blood-count was performed.
On this basis the findings were as follows:—
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