[Report 1928] / School Medical Officer of Health, Essex County Council.
- Essex County Council
- Date:
- 1928
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1928] / School Medical Officer of Health, Essex County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![Dr. Ranson (Halstead and Belchamp) has noted a decided falling off in the | condition of the children during the summer months. He is ^ of opinion that tins is “ due in some degree to the adoption of summer time” and doubts whether these children at any , time are receiving a satisfactory diet.” (The i)ercentages are ■ Halstead 0.6, Belchamp 2.2). r. / Dr. Richardson (Saffron Walden and Stansted) reports that there is a scarcity of even moderately fat children attending school, and ^ the majority would inobably be Ijest described as rather . lean.” (The percentages are Saffron Walden 8.8, Stansted 3.9;. ' Taking tlie wliole County, the percentage of malnutrition is tending to rise again if we omit th.c exce])tional iigure (7.3) for 1927. In 1914 the percentage was 8.1, in 1919 it w’as 4.7, graduHly falling to 1.3 in 1923, and rising to 3.6 in 1928. These figures suggest that the effect of the continued trade and agricultuial depression is being reflected in the school children, who must have a sufficiency of nourishing food if normal grow'th and development are to be maintained. Tire lack » of sucli food is not always due to shortage of money, but sometimes to ignorance and i indifference on the part of parents, who find it easier to satisfy their children s hunger , by giving slices of bread and jam. They should remember that a mixed diet is ; essential for the maintenance of health. In this connection it is gratifying to note i that one of the objects of the Women’s Institute movement is to “ study how to increase and improve the home grown food supply, and how to use it to the best- a-lvantage,” and further that they are taking an increasing interest in health matters by holding produce and health exhibitions, lectures, &c. A pint of milk a day for each child would make a wmnderful difference. I'larly in 1929 the Education Committee found it necessary to provide for the feeding of necessitous school children in the Dagenham area. Two Centres wen opened on 31st January, 1929, when 42 children were given meals and tlu numbers have steadily increased. Children are admitted on the recommendation ot , the School Medical Inspector, and the dinners provided are varied in character 1 Most of the meals supplied have been free, although in some cases charges were niadi i varying from a Id. to a maximum of 3d. per meal according to the finaucia , circumstances of tlic cliild’s home. Cleanliness. it is now the exception rather than the rule to find uncleanly children in sclioo Tlu; results of the surprise visits to scliools by the Health \ isitors indicate tliat onl one child in every hundred inspected was found to be unclean. Routine exammatioi;](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29195135_0008.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
