Further to that mention of rickets
I was just thinking today (perhaps inspired by browsing around on this amazing resource on UK public health provision) that when I was a tiny tot, yes, we played out in the streets, and on neglected bombsites, and so on, and so forth, why, it was totally a combination of Just William and Enid Blyton, except, on the whole, not in the least...
But besides all that lovely fresh air and sunlight (that would be when coalfires were not generating impenetrable smog), a beneficient welfare state was providing
free codliver oil
specifically for the prevention of rickets.
Suspect that this, like vaccination, was so very successful that people have completely forgotten that the problem ever existed.
Will concede that not all those wonderful infant welfare interventions were perhaps entirely desirable - the free, or possibly only very cheap, tins of Marmite from the local baby clinic would not be approved for wee babbiez these days on account of high salt content.
Will also concede that codliver oil was fairly yucky.
However, did not get rickets. Also have theory that Ma Generayshun is advancing into later life with bones like steel girders and less likely to succumb to osteoporosis than those of younger cohorts at earlier age because of all that codliver oil, free milk and orange juice, etc. Not that I am stopping my calcium and vitamin D any time soon.
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