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

Shoreditch 1931

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]

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Table: Milk Allowances.An allowance of milk is made to necessitous nursing and expectant mothers and to children under five years of age whose parents are necessitous. These allowances, which are made upon the recommendation of the Health Visitor, and the certificate of the Assistant Medical Officer of Health, after report by the Enquiry Officer, are as follows : —

Milk Allowances.

An allowance of milk is made to necessitous nursing and expectant mothers and to children under five years of age whose parents are necessitous. These allowances, which are made upon the recommendation of the Health Visitor, and the certificate of the Assistant Medical Officer of Health, after report by the Enquiry Officer, are as follows : —

Nursing and expectant mothers1 pint daily.
Child under 3 years of age1 pint daily.
Child 3-5 years (upon special medical certificate)1 pint daily.
Child 3-18 months (upon special medical certificate)1½ pints daily.

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1 lb. of dried milk per week is allowed at the discretion of the doctor,
instead of 1 pint of wet milk daily.
The number of individuals in receipt of milk allowances was 1,039 in
January, followed by an upward tendency until the end of November, when
the total reached the figure of 1,248; this being the highest recorded since
8th May, 1926, the week of the General Strike.
By the end of the year the number of individuals in receipt of allowances
had fallen to 1,190, but this number has since risen considerably.
At a meeting in February, the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee
decided to improve the medical supervision of milk allowances by requiring
that children in receipt of milk should be required to visit the doctor at a
Welfare Centre at regular intervals.

Table: Necessitousness referred to above in connection with allowance of dinners or milk is determined by the application of the following scale to the family income. This scale was revised in February, as follows : —

Necessitousness referred to above in connection with allowance of dinners or milk is determined by the application of the following scale to the family income. This scale was revised in February, as follows : —

No. in family.Net family income per head.
Free Dinners and Milk.Half-price Dinners and Milk.
s.d.s.d.
1140160
2120140
3100120
490100
58090
6 (and over)7080