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
Battersea 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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Routine Medical Inspection of Elementary School Children in Battersea, 1937.
| BOYS. | GIRLS. | Total. | Percentage. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entrants | Age 7 | Age 11 | Age 14 | Entrants | Age 7 | Age 11 | Age 14 | Batt. | London. | ||
| Number examined | 822 | 754 | 763 | 755 | 795 | 816 | 763 | 796 | 6,264 | – | – |
| Clothing and boots— | |||||||||||
| Good | 581 | 528 | 500 | 465 | 556 | 562 | 578 | 568 | 4,338 | 69·3 | 55·6 |
| Fair | 239 | 225 | 262 | 289 | 238 | 254 | 184 | 227 | 1,918 | 30·6 | 44·1 |
| Poor | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0·1 | 0·3 |
| Nutrition— | |||||||||||
| Good | 49 | 55 | 55 | 68 | 97 | 85 | 93 | 145 | 647 | 10·3 | 16·5 |
| Average | 710 | 596 | 641 | 620 | 646 | 661 | 607 | 609 | 5,090 | 81·3 | 77·4 |
| Below normal | 62 | 102 | 67 | 67 | 51 | 68 | 62 | 42 | 521 | 8·4 | 6·1 |
| Bad | 1 | 1 | – | – | 1 | 2 | 1 | – | 6 | ||
| Cleanliness of head— | |||||||||||
| Clean | 819 | 748 | 759 | 751 | 784 | 808 | 751 | 787 | 6,207 | 99·1 | 97·6 |
| Nits | 3 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 47 | 0·7 | 2·1 |
| Pediculi | – | – | 1 | – | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 0·2 | 0·3 |
| Cleanliness of body— | |||||||||||
| Clean | 821 | 751 | 759 | 755 | 792 | 815 | 762 | 796 | 6,251 | 99·8 | 99·1 |
| Dirty | 1 | 3 | 4 | – | 3 | 1 | 1 | – | 13 | 0·2 | 0·9 |
| Pediculi | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | — | – | – | 0·0 |
| Teeth— | |||||||||||
| All sound | 409 | 467 | 545 | 557 | 387 | 490 | 544 | 569 | 3,968 | 63·4 | 70·2 |
| Less than 4 decayed | 303 | 230 | 206 | 191 | 313 | 274 | 208 | 220 | 1,945 | 31·0 | 26·3 |
| Four or more decayed | 110 | 57 | 12 | 7 | 95 | 52 | 11 | 7 | 351 | 5·6 | 3·5 |
| Vision— | |||||||||||
| 6/6 in both eyes. | – | 563 | 543 | 544 | – | 594 | 523 | 585 | 3,352 | 72·3 | 67·6 |
| 6/9 in either or both eyes | – | 98 | 91 | 70 | – | 129 | 90 | 82 | 560 | 12·1 | 19·0 |
| 6/12 or worse in both eyes | – | 92 | 129 | 140 | – | 88 | 150 | 127 | 726 | 15·6 | 13·4 |