London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Heston and Isleworth 1914

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Heston and Isleworth]

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The following table gives a more detailed analysis of the state of clothing and footgear classified first into clean and dirty, and further sub-divided into satisfactory, fair or poor, according to the state of repair and suitability as regards warmth and protection:—

Entrants 1908Intermediates 1905Leavers 1902Total.
BoysGirlsBoysGirlsBoysGirlsBoysGirls
Clothing.
No. of observations275243299317325296899856
CleanSatisfactory repair241227277289295263813779
Fair repair2211121821255554
Poor repair10347471817
DirtySatisfactory repair12I24165
Fair repair1...31......41
Poor repair......2...1...3...
Footgear.
No. of observations275243279317325296899856
CleanSatisfactory repair25122627829I299267728784
Fair repair109101513183342
Poor repair1176107112428
DirtySatisfactory repair21112...52
Fair repair1...3.........4...
Poor repair......1...4...5...

It is a feature too commonly met with to find children
attending school with garments secured only by means of a few
pins, when a little time regularly devoted to the clothing with
a needle and cotton would preserve the garments and allow
the children to come to school neat and tidy. Unfortunately also
a few children are found attending school whose garments, as
well as being ragged, are found to be so dirty as to make it
unpleasant to be in their vicinity. In many of these cases it is
found that the child's mother goes out to work, but even so there
can be little excuse for allowing the children to attend school
in that state.