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
Willesden 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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the Feeding Centre Assistants have to be on duty for the preparation of the mid-day meal, it makes
no difference to staff whether the children attend for breakfasts or not.
Sunday Dinners.
The following table shows the dinners which have been supplied at Gibbons Road, Strode Road and Lower Place on each Sunday since the beginning of the year:—
| Gibbons Road. | Strode Road. | Lower Place. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 9th | 37 | 30 | 15 |
| 16th | 36 | 33 | 21 |
| „ 23rd | 39 | 41 | 11 |
| 30th | 38 | 38 | 13 |
| February 6th | 44 | 40 | 19 |
| 13th | 43 | 40 | 19 |
| „ 20th | 42 | 32 | 20 |
| 27th | 35 | 31 | 21 |
| March 6th | 43 | 22 | 18 |
| 13th | 46 | 30 | 21 |
| 20th | 40 | 25 | 21 |
| 27th | 36 | 33 | 19 |
| April 3rd | 34 | 36 | 16 |
| 10th | 31 | 31 | 17 |
| 17th | 43 | 28 | 18 |
| 24th | 42 | 31 | 16 |
| May 1st | 61 | 27 | 17 |
| ,, 8th | 59 | 27 | 13 |
| 15th | 59 | 38 | 10 |
| ,, 22nd | 52 | 31 | 12 |
On the average it may be stated that the number of children attending for Sunday dinners
is approximately 17 per cent. of those who come during the week.
Having regard to these figures it would be possible to carry the Lower Place children to Gibbons Road, but this arrangement would mean an increased cost as shown by the following statement, which excludes the cost of food, as this cost would be the same in either case:—
| Costs of running school 'bus from Lower Place to Gibbons Road so that Lower Place children may be fed at Gibbons Road. | Costs at Lower Place Centre of feeding children under the present arrangement. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| Driver—2 hours | 6 | 4 | — | ||
| Attendant—2 hours | 2 | 11 | — | ||
| Bus running costs | 1 | 0 | — | ||
| Extra Assistant at Gibbons Road | 12 | 3 | — | ||
| Assistant | — | 12 | 3 | ||
| Gas | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| £1 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 3 | |
GEORGE F. BUCHAN,
Medical Officer of Health.
7th July, 1938.
APPENDIX 0.
PREVENTION OF BLINDNESS.
Circular 1621 of the Ministry of Health.
This Circular was before the Committee in September, 1937, when I was instructed to prepare
a report on the prevention of blindness which was submitted to the Committee on the 12th October,
1937. This report, the Committee will remember, dealt mainly with the subject of the prevention
of blindness where efforts to prevent blindness are likely to be most effective, namely, in connection
with maternity and child welfare work.
The Circular comes before the Committee again in a letter from the County Medical Officer,
dated 14th June, 1938, dealing with the prevention of blindness in relation to adolescence. The
letter is as follows:—
" Dear Dr. Buchan,
Prevention of Blindness.
Circular 1621 of the Ministry of Health.
" In the early part of this year I submitted a report upon the above Circular, an extract
from which is as follows:—
" ' Section 12—Adolescence.
The Committee are impressed with the need for the continued ophthalmic supervision
of children with defective eyesight, particularly those with high or progressive myopia,
through the period of adolescence.'