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physically and yet were probably not under any investigation or treatment. At that time
of wide-spread unemployment and misery in Hoxton it seems strange that in the
beginning we were at a loss to know how to choose the children for the clinic when so
many would have been suitable. The school nursing sisters soon came to our help as they
knew the children who were constantly attending the minor ailment clinics with septic
sores, boils and other such complaints. The school doctors and the care committees
also brought forward children who had failed to make progress from free school dinners
and milk.
'On further enquiry it often appeared that the school food was just about all of a
body-building kind which the children obtained and it was not enough. In those days
these children suffered from all the minor ill-health associated with poverty and poor
food, such as septic boils, respiratory infection and a certain amount of iron deficiency
anaemia (16.4 per cent. of children were below Hb 85 per cent. in 1936-37). Their
clothing was wretched, often consisting of many layers of poor cotton in mid-winter
and broken boots or only Wellingtons were common. Of 68 children seen in 1936/37,
23 came from families of unemployed men and 8 were children of widows or came
from broken families.
' Although it is impossible to make accurate comparisons owing to the alteration in
the value of money, it is certain that those families living on Public Assistance or
Unemployment Assistance before the war had not enough money for food. When the
war came accompanied by full employment a great change came over the scene in
Hoxton and it was our compensation to see a little comfort come into these homes.
Many children needed to attend the clinic in the period just after the war when " lease
lend " had ceased, and, in spite of all the levelling up and down, only poor food was
available for all who could not afford expensive supplements. We actually have more
iron deficiency anaemia amongst the children now than before the war (25 per cent, of
children seen in the last 2 years were below Hb 85 per cent.) probably due to lack of
meat. We have now full employment and of 63 children seen in the past two years only
five came from families where the father was unemployed, four of these being cases of
chronic ill-health or physical disability.
'The housing question rather than the money shortage is the great problem now.
To my personal knowledge the housing is no worse now than it was 20 or 30 years ago,
shocking as it is in some cases, and yet before the war we never heard these present
bitter complaints about it. Probably it is the fact that better accommodation is available
for some which causes discontent. Also before the war it was possible to move even
if only to another slum which suited the family better; now there is no place to go.
'Our children now come well-dressed, the little girls in their bright warm best
cloth coats and the boys in their favourite lumber jackets. Poor shoes are rare and many
television sets have come to Hoxton. Yet in a lower income group with a large young
family living in a new Council flat it is a fact that unless the mother goes out to work
the income is such as to qualify the children for free dinners in school. Some families
in Hoxton do not seem to be entirely above the poverty line and many mothers are still
glad of the help of the nutrition centre team.
'Quite indispensable to the running of the clinic is the Sister-in-charge of the centre,
who knows the local children and many of the mothers and who is able therefore to
bring forward cases which would benefit by advice. If possible we arrange a home visit
by the Care Committee visitor which gives a picture of the social circumstances and
often many interesting sidelights if the Care Committee Secretary knows the family
well. Some of the children who benefit most from the clinic are those living under
indifferent housing conditions with chronic respiratory infections.
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