London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Ealing 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]
This page requires JavaScript
71
give a fairly true picture of the condition of the children in the various schools.
In the particular physical examination which followed the first classification
steps were taken to ascertain various defects which might possibly be considered
to be the result of sub-normal nutrition.
Wherever possible the medical officer ascertained from the mother
information regarding the child's general health, but unfortunately the
mother's help in this respect was not always available.
2. School Teacher's Report.
The school teachers supplied information with reference to the child's
behaviour, scholastic attainments, previous illnesses and signs of lack of
parental care which could only be obtained as a result of long continued
contact with and observation of the child.
3. Home Conditions.
An enquiry into the home conditions was made by the school nurse
and dealt with the size of the family, income, outgoings, employment of the
father and mother, housing accommodation, hours of sleep and nature of
the diet.
The nurse was often able to get from the mother some information
regarding the child's previous health and the reason for the child not receiving
milk in school, financial straits, lack of interest, etc.
The general results of the enquiry may be stated as follows:
| Number of children on the school registers at the middle of the year (1937) | 17,321 |
| School children considered by teachers to be of sub-normal nutrition either on physical or educational grounds or to be in poor financial circumstances | 1,097 |
| Of the 1,097 children those considered on examination by medical officers to be of sub-normal nutrition | 287 |
| (286 slightly sub-normal and 1 definitely sub-normal or bad). Percentage of school population to be of sub-normal nutrition | 1.66 |
The percentage of sub-normal children is certainly very low.
| (1) Size of Family. | |
| Average number in family of those considered to be sub-normal (Average size of family in Haling at 1931 Census, 3.6) | 6.25 |
| (2) Income of Family (per week). | |
| Average income available, after deducting rent, per person (irrespective of age) | 6/10 |
| 37 | |
| 57 | |
| (c) No. of families between 7/6 and 6/- each person | 33 |
| (d) No. of families below 6/- each person | 124 |
| 251 |
This number investigated is less than the number of 287 children found
to be sub-normal because information was not available in regard to 36 of
them. It is thus evident from these figures that it is the large family and
the family in poor financial circumstances that provide by far the largest
number of sub-normal children.