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
Finchley 1914
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finchley]
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The following table shows the total results under the heading of each age group:—
| Entrants | Interm. | Leaves | Totals | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys | Girls | Boys | Girls | Boys | Girls | Boys | Girls | |
| No. examined | 137 | 360 | 237 | 242 | 214 | 250 | 789 | 952 |
| No. Nutrition below normal | 11 | 22 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 35 | 42 |
| Per Cent. | 3.2 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 5.8 | 4.2 | 2.4 | 4.4 | 4.9 |
| Excellent Nutrition. | ||||||||
| No. Examined. | 337 | 360 | 237 | 242 | 214 | 250 | 789 | 852 |
| No. excellent Nutrition | 23 | 19 | 21 | 12 | 12 | 32 | 56 | 63 |
| Per Cent. | 6.8 | 5.2 | 8.8 | 4.9 | 5.6 | 12.8 | 7.0 | 7.3 |
These figures are of great interest, especially when compared
with the districts set out below. In this connection
it may be well to repeat the conclusions set out by the Chief
Medical Officer of the Board of Education on the question of
"malnutrition":—
"In making allowance for the difference in Standard,
it is impossible to doubt the general result of their findings,
that taking London as a whole there is evidence
that the school child undergoes some amount of physical
deterioration as regards nutritional condition during
school life. That this does not occur to the same extent
in the areas which are under better environmental conditions,
suggests that the matter is one which is in a large
degree remediable. It may be observed that the areas
showing the worst nutritional deterioration are precisely
those who show eexoeSsive death rates from phthisis, as
well as excessive infantile mortality. In view of the
evidence of environmental deterioration, it is gratifying
to find that a number of Boroughs do not show the
general fall."