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
Walthamstow 1935
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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who appears dull, listless and tired, who has a muddy complexion
or stands slackly is at once under suspicion, and
should be further examined. Too much reliance on a single
sign may lead to error. Carious teeth and other local defects
should not in themselves be regarded as evidence of faulty
nutrition. It is the general impression which decides the
issue."
The returns for 1935 have been classified as follows:—
| No. | A. | B. | C. | D. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exd. | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| Entrants | 2,811 | 332 | 11.8 | 2,255 | 80.4 | 191 | 6.7 | 33 | 1.1 |
| 2nd Age Group | 1,676 | 240 | 14.3 | 1,238 | 73.9 | 146 | 8.7 | 52 | 3.1 |
| 3rd Age Group | 2,312 | 330 | 14.3 | 1,692 | 73.3 | 245 | 10.5 | 45 | 1.9 |
| Other Routine Inspections | 438 | 50 | 11.5 | 333 | 76.0 | 48 | 10.9 | 7 | 1.6 |
| Totals | 7,237 | 952 | 13.1 | 5,518 | 76.2 | 630 | 8.7 | 137 | 1.9 |
(A, Excellent; B, Normal; C, Slightly Sub-normal; D, Bad.)
The returns were carefully analysed at the end of the year,
and it was evident that there was considerable variation in
the standards adopted by the two medical inspectors, and when
compared with those used in other areas. It also became
evident that the interpretation of the classification which has
been used in Walthamstow has been too stringent, and that
"the returns given for 1935 will probably reflect unfairly upon
the nutritional condition of the children as compared with
other areas.
Steps have now been taken to correlate the standards
used by individual members of the medical staff with those
used in another area.
The following were the findings on the former basis of "excellent" nutrition:—
| Entrants. | 2nd Age Group. | 3rd Age Group. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935. | 1934. | 1933. | 1935. | 1934. | 1933. | 1935. | 1934. | 1933. | |
| Boys | 91.5 | 89.8 | 86.2 | 87.7 | 85.8 | 82.6 | 87.3 | 79.9 | 83.5 |
| Girls | 92.2 | 88.8 | 88.2 | 88.9 | 82.9 | 81.0 | 86.6 | 82.2 | 74.0 |
Again 137 children were classified as D on the new basis,
while a total of 167 were noted in 1934 as requiring treatment
for malnutrition—a reduction of 30, or 18%.