London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Wandsworth 1968
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth, Metropolitan Borough]
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94
Relatively frequent medical examinations take place at the
schools for the handicapped. Specially approved medical officers
examine educationally subnormal children. Although the emphasis
rests upon the educational status of these children, any physical
abnormality is carefully assessed, for the successful treatment of
a physical defect may well enhance the child's prospects of securing
gainful employment after leaving school. Behaviour problems
in children of all ages continue to present difficulties. To
solve a behaviour problem is often an exacting task, demanding
intensive application of medical and educational resources.
Routine general medical inspections during 1968 totalled 18,067
compared with 17,288 in 1967. Of those children inspected, 14.5%
were referred for treatment of defects, 7.9% being referred for
treatment of defects other than vision. The corresponding percentages
for 1967 were respectively 14.1 and 7.1.
The following table shows the number of children referred for treatment or observation of the defects listed at routine general medical inspections during 1968, expressed as a rate per 1,000 children inspected, together with the corresponding rates for 1967.
| Numbers examined | 17,288 | 18,067 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate per thousand | ||||
| Treatment Observation | Treatment Observation | |||
| Skin diseases | 9.31 | 7.69 | 12.90 | 6.92 |
| Eyes—vision | 77.86 | 50.44 | 73.84 | 46.55 |
| squint | 6.30 | 6.25 | 6.25 | 6.03 |
| other | 2.26 | 2.43 | 1.72 | 2.10 |
| Defective hearing | 6.30 | 15.10 | 7.36 | 13.51 |
| Otitis media | 2.02 | 3.12 | 1.38 | 3.43 |
| Enlarged tonsils and adenoids | 7.35 | 24.00 | 6.09 | 19.87 |
| Defective speech | 3.24 | 9.02 | 4.37 | 7.36 |
| Enlarged cervical glands | 0.52 | 4.69 | 0.72 | 3.99 |
| Heart and circulation | 1.62 | 13.25 | 2.16 | 11.62 |
| Lung diseases other than tuberculosis | 4.16 | 11.74 | 4.98 | 10.90 |
| Orthopaedic defects | 9.55 | 32.16 | 8.52 | 22.75 |
| Defects of nervous system | 1.04 | 3.24 | 1.27 | 3.10 |
| Psychological defects | 4.86 | 10.01 | 4.48 | 11.90 |
| Developmental—hernia | 0.81 | 2.37 | 1.05 | 1.55 |
| other | 1.27 | 6.30 | 1.44 | 3.93 |
| Abdomen | 0.23 | 2.02 | 0.50 | 1.72 |