[Report 1959] / School Medical Officer of Health, Nottingham City.

Nottingham (England). City Council.

Date:: 1959

Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1959] / School Medical Officer of Health, Nottingham City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

12/52 (page 6)

But I digress. It is funny that the number considered unsatisfactory is exactly the same as last year but, of course, it may represent the same eight children who are in our day open air schools. We see all “unsatis¬ factory” children in school the following year but this figure is not shown in Ministry returns so that we do not have a complete picture of the amount of under-nutrition in the whole school population. It is interesting to note that in 1934, twenty-five years ago, this figure was more than ten times the present one and referred in those days to “bad nutrition”, i.e. at least a degree or so worse than our present “unsatisfactory” standard. It is not difficult to enlarge on the subject of the over nourished child—he can do so for himself, his presence is only too obvious and his inability to enter into the physical activities of his class is particularly noticeable. Very few of the fatties are keen enough to diet adequately to reduce their weight and most of their parents are smug and complacent about their child’s excessive girth. It is an interesting state of affairs; there has been nothing like it before and so one cannot predict the ultimate outcome of this present tendency, but is this going to have an effect on the expectation of life in the 21st century? Nutrition now being so satisfactory, one cannot help but wonder if school milk need anv longer be given to all children but could be given selectively to those recommended especially for it by the School Medical Officer, Health Visitor, or Nurse. There is certainly no doubt that the thin, skinny and active whipper-snapper is the better insurance risk in middle life and the same may apply to the young teenager in the future when national superannuation becomes an established fact. Other Inspections (See Appendix, Part I, Table C). These include examinations for various reasons and are an important part of our work. We see children for follow-up examinations in school— children who have been seen on one or more previous occasions, and who may have a condition which needs to be kept under observation but which does not need any treatment at the moment. Teachers, parents, family doctors, School Welfare and Attendance Department, the Child¬ ren’s Department, the Courts, the N.S.P.C.C., all ask us to examine and possibly treat children who may appear to be physically or psychologically unsatisfactory. One can understand, therefore, that this figure for “other inspections” can be a large one. We still inspect students attending Institutions of Further Education, the total this year amounting to 147. Approximately this number has been seen annually over several years. The Clifton Experiment. As indicated in my report last year, it was our intention to give up the intermediate examinations in junior schools on the Clifton Estate, and to arrange for the Medical Officer to go into the schools once a term to see children in the following groups:— (a) those under observation for some particular defect (including handicapped pupils); (b) those who may be causing anxiety to parents or teachers, either physically, mentally or socially; (c) those who cannot take part in physical activities;