[Report 1937] / Medical Officer of Health, Darlington County Borough.
- Darlington (England). County Borough Council.
- Date:
- 1937
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1937] / Medical Officer of Health, Darlington County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.
78/100 page 76
![To the Chairman and Members of the Education Committee. Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I liave the honour to submit my Twelfth Annual Rei)ort on the Sehool Medical Services for the year ended December 31st, 1937. The staff was increased during the year by the appointment of Miss B. AVignall, L.D.S., as .second dentist, following the circular from the Board of Education which suggested a basis of one dentist for 5,000 scholars. The average attendance at school throughout the year varied from 72% in January when we had an outbreak of pulmonary influenza, up to 92% in May, and down again to 84% in December when we suffered from the usual alternate year’s outbreak of measles which ])rincipally affected the Infant departments. Routine ins])ections were carried out according to schedule, and defects were treated and followed up as in past years. It is gratifying to be able to report the general increase in the attendance of parents at the inspections, 88% compared with last year’s figure of 75% in the case of entrants, 82% instead of 53% in intermediates, and 44% in place of 27% in the older children. The presence of a jjarent means much to the child, the teacher, the doctor and the nurse, in that pleasant contact is made, advice can be readily given, and discussion on future plans completed there and then. Propaganda work was particularly directed in 1937 by the Health Minister’s desire to “ press towards a Fitter Britain.” In Darlington, as you are aware, we have set before us a scheme of continual training in habits of health by lesson, poster, leaflet and film. Cleanliness, nutrition, physical exercise, open air and health teaching have all been incorporated into the ordinary school curriculum, theoretically and practically. I am now certain that the parents have awakened to the extending physical and mental opportunities offered to them. It is therefore impoi’tant that the work of the professional staff should be kept at the highest possible ]jitch of useful- ness in producing the maximum results in the short time available. With this in view, it is planned to have mass surveys in each school once a term so that the evidently defective child will be brought under medical super- vision immediately. Considerable progress has been made already in the general nutrition of the scholars following the nutritional survey last year, the cases of severe mal-nourishment having fallen from ()’6% down to half that figure. No doubt the better economic conditions of the town played a part, but it is well known that no matter how much money may be going into some families, the nutrition of the children is still dependent on the](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29149198_0080.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
