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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 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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10
5. REVIEW OF THE FACTS DISCLOSED
BY MEDICAL INSPECTION.
(a) Nutrition.—The statistical returns relating to nutritional
findings at medical inspection are given below in the form required
by the Board's Administrative Memorandum issued on the 31st
December, 1934.
Classification of the Nutrition of Children Inspected during the Year in the Routine Age Groups.
| No. of Children | "A" Excellent. | "B" Normal | "C" Slightly Subnormal. | "D" Bad. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age Groups. | Tnspctd. | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| Entrants | 1,685 | 659 | 39.1 | 864 | 51.2 | 160 | 9.4 | 2 | 0.1 |
| 2nd Age Group | 1,649 | 484 | 29.3 | 968 | 58.7 | 194 | 11.7 | 3 | 0.1 |
| 3rd Age Group Other Routine | 1,749 | 554 | 31.6 | 1,028 | 58.7 | 167 | 9.5 | — | — |
| Inspections | 299 | 87 | 29.1 | 180 | 60.2 | 31 | 10.3 | 1 | 0.3 |
| Total | 5,382 | 1,784 | 33.1 | 3,040 | 56.4 | 552 | 10.2 | 6 | 0.1 |
The findings may be shown comparatively as follows:—
A and B. C. D.
1937. Walthamstow 89.5 10.2 0.1
1936. Walthamstow 85.3 13.6 0.9
1936. England and Wales 88.8 10.5 0.7
Your Committee's School Medical Staff is definitely of the
opinion that the general nutritional condition of children attending
the Public Elementary Schools in the Borough again showed slight
but definite improvement during 1937.
Every opportunity has been taken by members of the School
Medical and Public Health Services, Teachers, School Attendance
Officers and others in regular contact with children, to ascertain
and notify those children who are in need of additional feeding.
As suggested in the Board's circular No. 1443, arrangements
exist whereby Head Teachers may arrange for the immediate grant
of milk meals, these recommendations being confirmed by referring
the children to the school clinic or to the next medical inspection
or re-inspection.
Opportunity was taken during the year by your medical staff
of comparing the nutritional scorings of a group of children with
those made by two visiting medical officers with special experience.
Reasonably close agreement was obtained.
Nutritional Surveys.—These surveys were carried out after
the medical inspection of each school along the lines detailed in
the 1936 report.