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7
causing or precipitating the crisis. It was not, therefore, in any
sense a "food crisis," due to failure of the world's harvests in
any region or in regard to any of the staple foods of man. On
the contrary, we have heard a great deal during the year of
surplus milk at home, surplus wheat abroad—abundance of everything,
together with adequate means of transport by sea and
land. In these circumstances, there would appear to be no
excuse for such economy in diet as would lead to a lowering of
the natural defences of the body against disease. I am glad
to be able to report that, in spite of straightened circumstances
in many families in this Borough, I have no evidence of increased
malnutrition in the population. Indeed, the general nutrition
of the child population is on the up-grade, thanks to the education
going on in centres and schools in favour of plain wholesome
diet, and the fact that there is abundance of every kind of fresh
food available at prices within the means of the great bulk of
the population.
The second aspect of the crisis which demands attention is
the question of economy in the social services—a subject upon
which much has been said and written during the year. Of
particular interest to Medical Officers of Health were the representative
views on Circular 1,222 (the "Economy Circular" of
the Ministry of Health) obtained by The Lancet and published
as anonymous contributions in that journal on September 19th
and 26th and October 3rd, 1931. These were written by the
administrative heads of large medical departments," with
the exception of one, which was written by a contributor, who
says:—" I have never been an officer of a local government
authority, but I have been for many years a member of such
an authority with special interest in the departments of public
health (including mental deficiency and maternity and infant
welfare) and education." He expresses apprehension at the
possible consequences of retrenchment without discrimination,
and goes on to say:—"There is much unwise expenditure now
going on under the head both of education and of public health,
though, speaking generally, I think that investigation would
show that the unwisdom of particular items is more prevalent
in the case of those authorities who have a low expenditure per
head of population than in those who have a high one."