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
East Ham 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]
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encouraged and persuaded to seek the advice of the School Medical
Staff upon even the simplest matters in connection with the health
of their children.
Statistics in regard to the incidence of malnutrition in school
children during the past fifteen years are indicated in the following
table:—
Annual Number of Cases of Malnutrition coming within the Purview of the School Medical Officer during the past
15 Years.
| Year. | * Routine Medical Inspection. | †Special Cases. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Requiring treatment. | Requiring to be under observation. | Requiring treatment. | Requiring to be under observation. | |
| 1919 | 32 | 41 | 2 | — |
| 1920 | 66 | 3 | 8 | 4 |
| 1921 | 76 | — | 10 | 1 |
| 1922 | 75 | 24 | 10 | 1 |
| 1923 | 31 | 17 | 15 | 3 |
| 1924 | 19 | 9 | 11 | 2 |
| 1925 | 24 | 33 | 8 | 8 |
| 1926 | 57 | 18 | 6 | 2 |
| 1927 | 30 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 1928 | 37 | 5 | 22 | 3 |
| 1929 | 60 | 36 | 9 | — |
| 1930 | 28 | 12 | 22 | 1 |
| 1931 | 24 | 8 | 12 | — |
| 1932 | 42 | 4 | 10 | 1 |
| 1933 | 41 | 3 | 16 | — |
* Routine Medical Inspection, is medical inspection carried out on the lines of the
approved Schedule at the time when routine medical inspection is due and made on the
school premises or other place sanctioned by the Board of Education under the Code.
f "Special Cases " are those children specially referred to the Medical Officer and
not due for routine medical inspection under the Code at the time when specially referred.
Such children may or may not be of Code-group age and may be referred to the
Medical Officer at the School or the Clinic by the Committee, Medical Officer, School
Nurses, Teachers, Attendance Officers, Parents or otherwise.
In order to appreciate the problem of malnutrition it is necessary
to realise that the factors which operate to cause the condition
are numerous and the subject is a complex one. It is not
enough that the body be supplied with food of any sort; that of
itself will not suffice. There must be the proper proportion of
nutrients, sufficient protein to meet the demand for nitrogen,
sufficient carbohydrate and fat to yield heat and energy. There
must be sufficient solids, vitamines, vegetable acids and water,
and there must be a sufficiency also in regard to quantity.