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 1937

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barking]

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133
Of the 7,538 examinations at ordinary elementary schools, 4,812 were routine
examinations of children in the specified age groups. In addition, there were 562
routine examinations of children of ages outside the three specified age groups, and
2,164 examinations of children specially referred to your Medical Officers.
(5) FINDINGS OF MEDICAL INSPECTION.
Table II (A) on pages 176 and 177gives in detail a return of defects found during
the course of routine and special inspections at ordinary elementary schools and at
the clinics.

Table: The following table is similar to Table I (C) of the Returns to the Board of Education (given on page 175 of this report), except that it shows the percentage of children found to require treatment:—

The following table is similar to Table I (C) of the Returns to the Board of Education (given on page 175 of this report), except that it shows the percentage of children found to require treatment:—

Group.Number of Children.Percentage of children found to require Treatment.
Inspected.Found to require Treatment.
PRESCRIBED GROUPS : Entrants1,75129316.7
Second age group1,65331519.0
Third age group1,40819518.8
Totals (prescribed groups)4,81280316.6
OTHER ROUTINE INSPECTIONS56212622.4

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(a) Malnutrition.—The Board of Education's classification of nutrition into
the groups " excellent," "normal," " slightly sub-normal " and " bad," introduced
in 1935, has been continued.
The personal factor amongst school medical officers must be allowed for in
interpreting the table dealing with nutrition, but reference to the table which
is on page 178 will show that malnutrition in its worst sense is infrequent amongst
the children attending the elementary schools of your town.
(b) Uncleanliness.—Systematic examination of children at routine cleanliness
inspection was carried out by school nurses throughout the year.