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
Heston and Isleworth 1914
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Heston and Isleworth]
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14
I am of opinion that the general well-being of the children
would be greatly benefitted if some arrangement could be made
for those children who come to school with wet feet to have
their wet shoes removed while in school.
| Entrants 1908. | Intermediates 1905. | Leavers 1902. | Total. | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys. | Girls. | Total. | Percentage. | Boys. | Girls. | Total. | Percentage. | Boys. | Girls. | Total. | Percentage. | Boys. | Girls. | Total. | Percentage. | |
| NO. observations | 275 | 243 | 518 | ... | 299 | 317 | 616 | ... | 325 | 296 | 621 | ... | 899 | 856 | 1755 | ... |
| Head— | ||||||||||||||||
| (1) Clean | 264 | 200 | 464 | 89.5 | 281 | 236 | 517 | 83.9 | 306 | 242 | 548 | 88.2 | 851 | 678 | 1529 | 87.1 |
| (2) Dirty | 1 | 1 | 0.2 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 1.5 | 13 | 3 | 16 | 2.6 | 21 | 5 | 26 | 1.5 | |
| (3) Nitty or Verminous | 11 | 42 | 53 | 10.3 | 10 | 80 | 90 | 14.6 | 6 | 51 | 57 | 9.2 | 27 | 173 | 200 | 11.4 |
| Body — | ||||||||||||||||
| (1) Clean | 262 | 234 | 496 | 95.7 | 282 | 312 | 594 | 96.4 | 310 | 286 | 596 | 96.0 | 854 | 832 | 1686 | 96.1 |
| (2) Dirty | 1 | 1 | 0.2 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 1.9 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 1.3 | 18 | 3 | 21 | 1.2 | |
| (3) Flea-bitten | 10 | 8 | 18 | 3.5 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1.4 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 2.7 | 24 | 20 | 44 | 2.5 |
| (4) Verminous | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0.6 | 1 | ... | 1 | 0.3 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0.2 |
(Special cases examined during the year :—-
Nitty and Verminous conditions ... ... 149)
The above table shews the conditions present among the
children inspected during 1914. Among those children found to
have nitty or verminous heads warning notices were sent in 62
cases, and in 178 instances the children were excluded from
school until the head was free from nits.
In accordance with the Education Committee's resolution of
9th April, 1912,—"That in future in the case of a child absent
from school owing to nitty conditions of the hair after a period
14 days from the date of examination by the School Medical
Officer, legal proceedings be instituted forthwith against the
parent in respect of such absence from school,"—6 of the parents
of the children excluded have been prosecuted, penalties being
inflicted varying from 2/6 to 5/-.