ABSTRACT
Soon after the war broke out there was a rumour that the Ministry of Information had put a ban on the word ‘malnutrition’ doubt it was a baseless rumour— but the spread of it shows a readiness to believe that the authorities would gladly discourage discussion of so inconvenient a topic. The war of 1914-18 indeed provided a powerful impetus to the scientific study of nutrition. Governments wanted to know from the experts how much—or rather how little— a man must eat in order to be able to work and fight. The strain of war and the restriction of food supplies which war involved were imposed upon a population which was poorly nourished and which showed this physically. The food which people can afford to buy is not the sole factor responsible for their health ; but how important it is even when compared with housing is shown by the observations of McGonigle at Stockton on Tees.
