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
Acton 1940
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Acton]
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36
PROVISION OF MEALS.
Free meals were distributed from 1st May 1940 at two feeding
centres, Priory and John Perryn School. The numbers were few
as there is very little unemployment now amongst parents of school
children. Nutrition surveys were held each term by the School
Medical (Officer, the Head Teacher of each school being requested
to bring forward for examination any children suspected of being
undernourished. School Nurses and Head Teachers were also
requested to be constantly on the outlook for such cases and to refer
them to the Medical Officer for inspection. Free milk was supplied
to all schools as from 1st May, 1940. the numbers again were low,
as the table given below shows. At one point milk could not be
supplied to some of the schools owing to difficulties in supplying
l/3rd pint bottles. In most of the schools quart bottles of milk are
now being supplied, the children bring cups and the milk is divided
out. One school supplied Horlicks malted milk instead of plain
milk, during the winter.
TABLE 4.
Provision of Meals and Milk. —
| Number of meals supplied | 741 | |
| Number of bottles of milk | 6,185 | |
| Number of children to whom meals and milk were granted | 21 | |
| Number of children to whom free milk was granted | 23 | |
THROAT, EAR & NOSE CLINIC.
These Clinics were run in conjunction as in previous years.
Children suffering from post nasal catarrh were treated where the
disease consisted of: —
(a) Post nasal catarrh only giving rise to symptoms of deafness.
(b) Post nasal catarrh with ear discharge.
(c) Post nasal catarrh giving rise to symptoms suggesting
necessary removal of Tonsils and Adenoids,—i.e., large
tonsils, enlarged glands, obstruction to nasal breathing,
etc.