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
London County Council 1908
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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27
The bad class is left out of further consideration as the numbers are so small.
Taking the four different classes of obstruction in the boys, it is to be noted that of the "nil"
obstruction nearly a half get high marks and less than a fifth are in the low mark group. At the other
end of the obstruction scale, where it is "considerable," the reverse holds, and there is a uniform
change in each class, so that the correlation with the degree of nasal obstruction and the percentage
of cases is very close. The same relations, although not so striking, are noticeable among the girls. If
the table is set out as percentages of each mark group, it is found that the relations in each group of
boys and girls remain sensibly the same, so that it is evident that the factor of nasal obstruction is
the only one coming in, as the incidence of nasal obstruction and total marking shows no perceptible
difference in the two sexes.
Abnormal Speech. —These 231 children numbered 132 boys and 99 girls, the actual numbers in each class being:—
| Degree of nasal obstruction. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nil. | Slight. | Some. | Considerable. | Bad. | Totals. | |
| Numbers of children— | ||||||
| Boys | 15 | 34 | 40 | 26 | 17 | 132 |
| Girls | 10 | 25 | 29 | 22 | 15 | 99 |
| Percentages of totals— | ||||||
| Boys | 11.3 | 25.7 | 30.3 | 19.7 | 12.9 | 100 |
| Girls | 10.1 | 25.2 | 29.2 | 22.2 | 13.1 | 100 |
| Average marks for articulation (possible, 1,000)— | ||||||
| Boys | 879.9 | 868.8 | 882.2 | 868.6 | 921.4 | — |
| Girls | 781.5 | 890.3 | 824.9 | 828.6 | 895.4 | — |
Although the numbers are comparatively small, the incidence of nasal obstruction is similar
in both sexes, but there is no relation whatever between the degree of obstruction and average of marks
obtained. In both sexes the class of most obstruction gets highest marks, and in the girls the class
of least obstruction obtains the lowest marks.
Analysing the results as before the same conclusion is reached :—
| Degree of nasal obsrtuction. | Boys. | Girls. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 970 marks. | 970-995 marks. | 996-1,000 marks. | Total in class. | Less than 970 marks. | 970-995 marks. | 996-1,000 marks. | Total in class. | |
| Numbers— | ||||||||
| Nil | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 10 |
| Slight | 12 | 9 | 13 | 34 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 25 |
| Some | 10 | 16 | 14 | 40 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 29 |
| Considerable | 9 | 13 | 4 | 26 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 22 |
| Bad | 2 | 9 | 6 | 17 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 13 |
| Percentages of total in each class — | ||||||||
| Nil | 33.3 | 33.3 | 33.3 | — | 40.0 | 50.0 | 10.0 | - |
| Slight | 35.3 | 26.5 | 38.2 | — | 28.0 | 40.0 | 32.0 | - |
| Some | 25.0 | 40.0 | 35.0 | - | 34.5 | 37.9 | 27.6 | - |
| Considerable | 34.6 | 50.0 | 15.4 | - | 18.2 | 45.5 | 36.4 | - |
| Bad | 11.8 | 52.9 | 35.3 | - | 30.8 | 38.5 | 30.8 | - |
The absence of any order or progression is quite evident. The conclusions drawn from this
enquiry are that the consonantal articulatory capacity is inversely related to nasal obstruction in
normal children and more decidedly so in the case of boys than girls. The incidence of obstruction
being equal in the two sexes, it appears that a given degree of obstruction produces, either through
deafness or in other ways, more harmful effect on the articulatory capacity of boys than of girls.
On the other hand , with abnormal cases who present gross defects in the consonantal articulatory
capacity, no correlation whatever can be traced in either sex between the degree of nasal obstruction
and the extent to which this capacity is impaired. Possibly some slight correlation might be found if
a much larger number of cases could be taken but the factor is evidently unimportant and submerged
by others.
20261
D 2