London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London

London County Council 1913

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

This page requires JavaScript

Text

Copy text to clipboard

154
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1913.

Table: The following table analyses the various types of action according to the assessment of thehome conditions:—

The following table analyses the various types of action according to the assessment of thehome conditions:—

Good homes.Fair or Doubtful homes.Poor homes.
School feeding with or without treatment54 (20%)50 (20.5%)280 ( 72%)
Medical treatment alone86 (32%)89 (37%)34 (9%)
Convalescent treatment22 (8%)19 (8%)40 (10%)
Other action105 (40%)83 (34.5%)35 (9%)

Text

Copy text to clipboard

Of those definitely decided to belong to necessitous homes 82 per cent. were met either by school
feeding or by convalescent treatment; in good or fair or doubtful homes in 20 per cent. school feeding
was arranged, in the vast majority of cases the parents paying for the oil or milk provided. About
10 per cent. of all the cases were met by convalescent treatment, this being a larger proportion than
might possibly have been anticipated. Amongst the cases of malnutrition recorded school feeding
was specially recommended by the school doctors in 215 instances. These were classified into
"good" homes, 50 ; fair or doubtful homes, 58; poor homes, 107. Feeding at school was arranged
in 130 cases, viz., 19 from "good" homes, 19 from fair or doubtful homes, and 92 from "poor"
homes. The school feeding in the majority of cases of malnutrition took the form of milk or cod-liver
oi1 supplied during the morning recess. The regular administration of extra feeding in this form is a
very useful adjunct to other methods in all cases of malnutrition. Many of the debilitated children
even from good homes are the better for it. Where it is arranged for by the Care Committee the
parents often gladly pay if able to do so.

Table: Result.—In the majority of cases re-inspections were held and the results are analysed below as "improved," "no improvement," or "worse." "Improvement" was held to have taken place if an appreciable increase of weight had occurred, "no improvement " if no appreciable increase had taken place, and the condition was considered 44 worse " if there had been loss of weight, however slight.

Result.—In the majority of cases re-inspections were held and the results are analysed below as "improved," "no improvement," or "worse." "Improvement" was held to have taken place if an appreciable increase of weight had occurred, "no improvement " if no appreciable increase had taken place, and the condition was considered 44 worse " if there had been loss of weight, however slight.

Re-inspected.Improved.Not improved.Worse.
Good homes.
School feeding4737 (79%)9 (19%)1
Medical treatment7762(80%)14 (18%)1 (died)
Convalescent treatment1616 (100%)--
Other measures9062 (69%)24 (26%)4
Fair homes.
School feeding3733 (89%)4 (10%)-
Medical treatment7952 (66%)19 (24%)8 (10%) (1 died)
Convalescent treatment1312 (92%)1-
Other measures7649 (64.5%)23 (30%)4 (5.5%) (1 died)
Poor homes.
School feeding246191 (78%)47 (19%)8 (3%)
Medical treatment3322 (67%)9 (27%)2 (2 died)
Convalescent treatment1916 (80%)21
Other action3317 (52%)13 (40%)3 (8%) (1 died)

Text

Copy text to clipboard

It is seen that in all three classes convalescent treatment has given the best results, viz., 100
per cent. improvement in children from good homes, 92 per cent. in fair homes, and 80 per cent. in
poor homes. When the weights are taken into consideration it is found not only that greater
numbers improve but also the degree of improvement is greater than is attained by any other
means. It will further be seen that in doubtful and in poor homes medical treatment alone and
"other measures" are not productive of such good results as when they are combined with school
feeding.

Table: The figures are more significant if the total numbers are taken in each class. Thus:—

The figures are more significant if the total numbers are taken in each class. Thus:—

Re-inspected.Improved.Not improved.Worse.
Good homes230177 (77%)47 (20.4%)6 (2.6%)
Fair or doubtful homes205146 (71.2%)47 (22.9%)12 (5.9%)
Poor homes331246 (74.3%)71 (21.1%)14 (4.6%
Total766569 (74.3%)165 (21.5%)32 (4.2%)

Text

Copy text to clipboard

It is thus seen that while the best results are obtained when the homes are "good," that
in the "fair" or "doubtful" homes the results are not as good as in the "poor" homes. It would
seem that standards of "necessity" which apply in normal cases should not be applied too rigorously
when ill-nourished children are in question; where the home conditions may be satisfactory when
the inmates are in good health, the presence of illness in the home necessitates the provision of articles