[Report 1932] / School Medical Officer of Health, Hertfordshire County Council.

  • Hertfordshire (England). County Council. n 50062101.
Date:
1932
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1932] / School Medical Officer of Health, Hertfordshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The school nurses are very keen on this work, and exert an increasing influence both in the schools and the homes of the children. They are of great assistance in the inspections because of their individual knowledge of the children and their home conditions. There was very little, if any, evidence of malnutrition due to the depressed financial conditions prevailing. The cleanliness of the children, particularly in some of the schools, has reached a high standard. Scabies, nits, and ringworm, so common fifteen years ago, have almost disappeared. The mothers attend in increasing numbers, and welcome the opportunity of discussing their children’s health. Refusals for inspection were practically non-existent. Dr. Rose (East Barnet). Dr. Rose reports some increase of defects, chiefly due to enlarged tonsils, and in some of the schools to absence of cleanliness. Subsequent examination showed, however, a very marked improvement in the cleanliness and general physique of the children, due almost entirely to the active efforts of the head teachers and the school nurses. Dr. Gross (Berkhamp stead and Bring). As a result of the sudden rise in the birth rate in 1920, the number of children in the twelfth year group for inspection was comparatively large. A number of children who missed routine inspection during the previous year were also inspected. Thirty children showed definite evidence of subnormal nutrition; this figure is not in excess of my average finding in this district, and I have not noted any marked reflections of recent depressed economic conditions in the school children’s nutrition. There were recorded four cases of obesity, and where I have considered it necessary I have drawn attention to the advisability of obtaining medical advice for this defect which may prove a serious handicap in later life. As regards infectious disease, cases of scarlet fever have occurred in the following schools : Aldbury (5), Tring, Gravelly (3), Bourne End (3), Chipperfield (2). Ten cases, spread over the year, have occurred at Berkhamstead Schools. An outbreak in the Flamstead-Markyate area in the third term produced seven cases at Flamstead School, five at Markyate C.C. School, and four at Sebright School ; special investigations were carried out at Flamstead School, which was closed for one