London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Edmonton 1912

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Edmonton]

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137
Thus 58.5 per cent. of the boys, and 74.3 per cent. of the girls
were satisfactorily clothed, and 6.1 per cent. of boys and 2.6 per cent. of
girls were badly clothed, while 35.4 per cent. of the boys and 19.1 per cent.
of the girls come under the poor but passable section.
The condition of the boys. clothing is thus worse than that of the
girls., and the boys of ten years of age are the worst clothed and worst
shod of all the children.
Cleanliness.
The usual condition of the child as regards cleanliness is recorded
by the teacher in the medical inspection schedule.
The children are grouped into three classes—excellent, fairly
clean, and dirty.
The percentages coming under each heading are given:-

TABLE XIII.

Boys.Girls.
5-6.10-11.13-14.All boys.5-6.10-11.13-14.All girls.
Excellent33.017.628.026.935.243.234.038.4
Fairly clean57.877.166.565.856.648.853.852.6
Dirty9.25.35.57.38.28.08.29.0

There are thus 7.3 per cent. of the boys and 9 per cent. of the girls
classed as dirty. This percentage among the girls has been about the
same during each year of medical inspection. I am convinced, however,
that, taken as a whole, the children are much cleaner than they were in
the first years of medical inspection, and as the children get cleaner,
the standard of cleanliness adopted by the teachers is raised also. The
boys have a much lower percentage of dirty children this year than in
any previous year. This improvement is not shown in the infants, but
among the elder children. In 1910, the percentage of children of ten
years of age, classed as dirty was 18.4, and in 1911 it was 9.4 compared
with 5.3 for the year just passed. Among the boys of 13-14 the percentage
of dirty children in 1910 was 7.8, and in 1911 it was 8.2, compared with
5.5 for last year.
The number of children extensively flea-bitten was 18 boys and 19
girls, or 0.8 and 1.0 per cent., respectively of the children examined.
Vermin.
BODY.—The number of children found at medical inspection to
be infected with body lice was 91, including 44 boys and 47 girls. The
percentage for boys was 1.9, and for girls, 2.5.