View report page

134
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1910.
In addition to the wider racial variations to be observed in largo groups of children there are
individual differences which render comparison from one area to another somewhat uncertain during
the years of rapid growth. Physiological functions such as the cutting of teeth or attainment of puberty
are acquired at periods differing markedly with individuals and yet closely correlated with general
physique. It has been shown by Crampton, of New York, that of those children of the same age
reckoned from birth, those who have the most teeth are taller and heavier. He, therefore, distinguishes
between physiological age and age from birth. In one set of investigations on boys of 12 years of
age, living under approximately similar conditions, he deteimined the physiological age by the number
of canine teeth of the second dentition which had been cut, and found corresponding differences in physique.

Similar differences are also noted in London children, but sufficient data have not yet been
collected to justify publication. It has been shown that the average age at which these physiological
events occur varies from one district to another, and this factor cannot therefore be ignored when comparisons
are made between any small number of children at the same temporal age in one district and
another, and accentuates the degree of difference which must be established to prove the action of any
definite cause in the direction of physical deterioration. It has not been definitely shown that retardation
in growth, which is ultimately made up, whether physical or mental is an evil. The relationship
between physique and ability has been indicated in previous reports, and also in other cities.The New
York records afford a certain explanation of this, the more advanced children in higher standards being
physiologically the older, the others are found to make up much leeway after passing the period of
puberty. A careful investigation of the problems of growth in relation to physiological estimation
of age may probably furnish much valuable information in relation to educational work. In the schools
in which the average stature and weight is low a certain number of children come from a small stock,
but are proportionately up to their approximate level, there are others whose growth is retarded and
a certain number whose dimensions appear deficient in one or other particulars, although not physiologically
behind their age. In some cases these children come from homes where the conditions as to
feeding, warmth, ventilation and sleep are often very defective. The conditions prevalent in areas
in North Kensington and Bethnal Green are referred to on pages 129 to 131.
In the Annual Report for 1905 it was shown that the relation of overcrowding to inferior physique
was only clear when the numbers per room exceeded five, and in every case other factors came into play.
Overcrowding chiefly depends on small income, and is associated with deficient or unsuitable feeding
and clothing. The feature to which attention was then drawn of the superior physique of the children
of widows has been often confirmed, as have the disadvantages suffered by families in which the parents
go to work. Probably an undue share of food left for the mid-day meal is eaten by the first comers,
and the rest suffer. A low average in stature and weight is not always associated with ill-health or with
defects found at the medical inspection. The teeth in particular are often better in children from
poorer homes, perhaps from use on rougher food materials, which leaves less debris to undergo fermentation.
Children of poorer homes also often have the advantage of the fresh air of the streets, whilst
the better-off child is kept indoors and becomes flabby and less resistant to minor ailments. The
statistics of infantile mortality suggest that the children of the poorer schools have also gone through a
more severe selection ; disease weeding out by natural selection, and the less fit having succumbed
before school age, the residue are of sturdier average type than in schools or classes where such
selection has been less intense.
Flat Foot.—The importance of flat foot in later life is considerable. According to an analysis
presented at the Dresden Hygiene Exhibition this year the rejection of recruits from various
European armies from this cause is very considerable. During the past decennium about 6 per cent.
of the recruits in Great Britain have been rejected. Conditional rejections from full service
in the German army for a similar reason were 25 per cent., Switzerland 33 per cent., France 7.5 per cent.,
and in the Austrian army it ranged from 20 to 30 per cent. according to districts and race, Croats
being as low as 21 whilst Germans ran up to 36 per cent. Dr. Hawkes has noted the frequency of
flat feet in 1,581 children, 770 boys and 811 girls, attending three schools of the poorer class. He
has distinguished two groups—
(1) Weak feet in which the leg muscles no longer support the arch of the foot, the strain falling
upon the ligaments beneath the arch, the foot being slightly everted. In such cases the shape of
the foot returns to the normal during the resting periods.
(2) True flat feet in which the ligaments become stretched and the whole inner border of the
foot touches the ground. The feet of 65.4 per cent. of boys and 64.9 per cent. of girls were
affected to a greater or less degree. Tn 28.8 per cent. boys and 31.7 per cent. girls the second stage