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 1914
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]
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102
If the menu is carefully arranged the cost of a two-course
dinner would be a very small fraction more than one course.
At one school I visited I found a leg of mutton cooked for
dinner, and on suggesting to the Cook as to the giving of rice
pudding I was informed that the children would not eat rice
pudding. Those children who refused pudding could not have
been hungry and would probably have benefited more by the rice
pudding than by the meat.
The number of children fed for the years 1912-1915 and number of meals per child fed are given in the following table:—
| No. of children fed. | No. of meals per child fed. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1912-13 | 1,175 | 126 |
| 1913-14 | 1,073 | 106 |
| 1914-15 | 1,025 | 180 |
It will be noted that although the number of children fed were
less from March, 1914-15, the number of meals increased.
The number of meals provided and the total cost per meal for the same year are as follows:—
| Number of meals. | Cost per meal. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1912-13 | 148,367 | 2.44d. |
| 1913-14 | 113,487 | 2.72d. |
| 1914-15 | 184,626 | 2.71d. |
THE TEACHING OF HYGIENE.
Mothercraft and School for Mothers.
Six cooking centres in the Borough provide instruction for
1,600 children annually.
The teaching of hygiene is not part of the syllabus except at
the Higher Elementary School.
At this School instruction is given in First Aid, Elementary
Anatomy, Physiology, Infant Management, Health and Temperance.
I would like to see as part of the syllabus instruction to the
elder girls in the Elementary Schools the management of infants
and housewifery with general house sanitation.