View report page

73
that any of the children attending an elementary school
within their area are unable by lack of food to take full advantage
of the education provided for them, and have ascertained
that funds other than public funds are not available
or are insufficient in amount, etc., etc."
This quotation lays stress upon the inability of the child to
study when underfed, and assumes that with sufficient and proper
feeding children will be able to take full advantage of the educational
facilities afforded to them.
While fully agreeing with this view of the question, I am of
opinion that other important results may reasonably be expected
to follow the feeding of necessitous childien; that with a general
improvement in health, there will be acquired pari passu an increased
resistance to epidemic disease.
In considering the results of feeding necessitous children
from this latter point of view, certain facts must be borne in
mind. First, it must be remembered that for infectious disease
to spread, it is necessary that not only must facilities for spreading
the disease be present, but there must also be present a sufficient
number of susceptible persons exposed to infection, and if
there is a decline in the prevalence of infectious disease, there is
either less intercourse between persons at susceptible ages, or
such persons are less susceptible than formerly, or there is a less
number of such persons present.
I do not think much need be said to disprove the last point.
The birth-rate in the Borough has kept fairly constant during
the last few years, and so supplying a constant stream of susceptible
persons; and, again, scarlet fever and diphtheria, with
which I am here mostly concerned, have not been so excessive in
the Borough during the last two or three years as to use up all