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163
tations." The classes are made known in the district by the
Health Viisitor when visiting under the Notification of Births
Act, 1907, and mothers are invited to attend and bring their
babies for regular weighing, inspection and advice. In
some cases the classes are entirely conducted by the Health
Visitor, in others a Medical Officer attends on certain days.
In Fulham, for instance, a Medical Officer attends twice a
week. The actual lessons or lectures should be short and
very practical.
Education (Provision of Meals) Act, 1906.—The
relationship of this Act to the School Medical Service was
dealt with in my Annual Report for 1912. In this District
the Act is administered merely as a means whereby necessitous
parents are relieved, whereas the object of the Act
is really to feed children who are "unable by reason of lack
of food to take full advantage of the education provided for
them." In the absence of disease .it is actually the physical
state of the child, and not the necessity of the parent, that
is all important in deciding whether or not a child should be
fed, and this matter requires the best consideration of the
Authority.
In the Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer of the
Board of Education for 1910 the following observations are
made as to the administration of this Act and the functions
of the School Medical Officer in connection therewith:—
" . . . . Indeed, in areas in which the Act is in
operation, the following important functions in relation to its
working may appropriately devolve upon the School Medical
Officer and his assistants.
(1) He should report to the Local Education Authority
all cases of bad or insufficient nutrition observed in the course
of medical inspection (whether routine inspection or special
inspection). Such cases should be put on the feeding-list
pending (investigation as to the cause of malnutrition—unless,