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
London County Council 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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33
Sleep of school children
The General Purposes Sub-Committee of the Cousultative Committee of Headmistresses
of Girls' Schools asked that consideration should be given to the desirability
of issuing to parents a leaflet drawing attention to children's lack of sleep owing to
various factors, e.g., summer time, the radio, the cinema. The school medical officer
has prepared a leaflet which was printed and distributed through the schools.
Included in the leaflet was the advice that essential hours of sleep and times to go
to bed are :—
12 hours at 4 years old 6.30 p.m.
11 to 12 hours at 5 to 7 years old 7.0 p.m.
10 to 11 hours at 8 to 11 years old 8.0 p.m.
9 to 10 hours at 12 to 14 years old 8-9.0 p.m.
The leaflet received an immediate and widespread response and its influence
extended far beyond the London schools through laudatory notices in both the London
and provincial press.
A Junior Red Cross link, when established in a school, forms a valuable aid to
health, as is shown by the following extract from a recent number of the Junior Red
Cross Journal:—
Link 1074. Senior Girls' School, Walworth—We have tried to keep the health rules,
especially in the matter of going to bed early. (This is good news indeed :—Ed.)
Infectious diseases in schools
Elementary schools
The numbers of cases of infectious illness which occurred among children in the
day elementary schools during the year, together with comparative figures for the
preceding six vears, are shown below :—
The numbers of cases of infectious illness which occurred among children in the day elementary schools during the year, together with comparative figures for the preceding six years, are shown below:—
| Year | Diphtheria | Scarlet fever | Measles and German measles | Whoopingcough | Chickenpox | Mumps | Ophthalmia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The figures for ringworm are given later in this section of the report (page 36).
The numbers of cases of scabies and impetigo, the treatment of these diseases
and the measures taken during 1938 with a view to reducing their incidence, are
referred to on page 31.
No case of smallpox was notified in London during the year. The last confirmed
case occurred in June, 1934.
Members of the school medical staff carried out a number of special investigations
during the year into the possible causes of infectious diseases in schools, details of
which are given hereunder :—
Members of the school medical staff carried out a number of special investigations during the year into the possible causes of infectious diseases in schools, details of which are given hereunder:—
| Division | Diphtheria | Scarlet fever | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of visits | Number of depts. visited | Number of children examined | Number of visits | Number of depts. visited | Number of children examined | |