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
Barking 1907
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barking]
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The percentage of scholars attacked with Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria respectively to the number of scholars attending school is as follows—
| School. | Scarlet Fever. | Diphtheria. | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Street | 1.6 | .5 | 1.5 |
| Gascoigne Road | 1.05 | .4 | 1.45 |
| Westbury | 1.1 | .4 | 1.5 |
| Church of England | 1.07 | .3 | 1.37 |
| Roman Catholic | .8 | .8 | 1.6 |
| Creeksmouth | 1.1 | .0 | 1.1 |
| Castle | 2.0 | .0 | 2.0 |
The total number of children attending the Public Elementary
Schools of the Council was on January 30th, 1908, 6,338; which
gives a total percentage of scholars attacked by Scarlet Fever
during the year of l.2 per cent., by Diphtheria .4 per cent., or a
total of 1.6 per cent. attacked by notifiable Infectious Disease
during the year. This seems to me to be a most excellent record.
On several occasions on the occurrence of cases of Scarlet
Fever in one class I have examined the whole, but during
this year have not discovered any undetected case. A large
number of dirty and verminous children have been visited and
cleansed, and rendered fit to attend school. I regret very much
to add that in my opinion there is a great lack of cleanliness in
our midst, which is sadly apparent in the condition of the children
and the Lome. I am quite sure too that it is on the increase.
No real progress either in sanitation or education will ever be
made without the insistence of parental responsibility to a
much larger extent than has been done up to the present. In my
judgment the Act for providing needy children with food