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 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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77
Children sometimes miss the ambulance owing to lack of organisation at home, when the
child is on the early ambulance round as distinct from the late round. This lack results in the
child not being ready for the ambulance. Children often miss the ambulance because they may
live in small alleys or passages down which it is not possible for the ambulance to go. They
have to wait at " points " in the road and, in cold or wet weather, parents are afraid of bad
results if too long a wait ensues. Another reason given when children miss the ambulance,
and so school, is that they have had disturbed nights and have been allowed to sleep late in the
morning.
Afterhistories
of
tuberculous
children.
Particulars concerning the after-histories of children discharged from hospitals and sanatoria during the years 1923 to 1927 have been obtained, and the following tables show the distribution of pulmonary and non-pulmonary cases:— I.—Pulmonary cases.
| Year. | Total. | Percentage alive 5 years after discharge. | Percentage dead. | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. | B.1 | B.2. | B.3. | A. | B.1.* | B.2. | B.3. | A. | B.1.* | B.2. | B.3. | |
| 1923 | 136 | 7 | 18 | 35 | 88.7 | 71.4 | 11.1 | 14.3 | 11.3 | 28.6 | 88.9 | 85.7 |
| 1924 | 113 | 3 | 22 | 37 | 92.9 | 100.0 | 22.7 | 2.7 | 7.1 | — | 77.3 | 97.3 |
| 1925 | 148 | 5 | 35 | 27 | 93.2 | 80.0 | 37.1 | — | 6.8 | 20.0 | 62.9 | 100.0 |
| 1926 | 140 | 5 | 19 | 26 | 91.6 | 20.0 | 52.7 | 3.9 | 8.4 | 80.0 | 47.3 | 96.1 |
| 1927 | 143 | 2 | 18 | 25 | 91.6 | 50.0 | 33.3 | — | 8.4 | 50.0 | 66.7 | 100.0 |
* Percentages based on very small numbers.
*percenteges besed on very small numbers.
II.—Non-Pulmonary cases.
| year | Total. | Percentage alive 5 years after discharge. | Percentage dead. | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hip. | Spine. | Other bones. | Glands | Other parts. | Hip. | Spine. | Other bones. | Glands. | Other parts. | Hip. | Spine. | Other bones. | Glands. | Other parts. | |
| 1923 | 62 | 38 | 64 | 100 | 14 | 88.7 | 73.7 | 98.4 | 93.0 | 78.6 | 11.3 | 26.3 | 1.6 | 7.0 | 21.4 |
| 1924 | 69 | 49 | 89 | 149 | 28 | 81.2 | 71.4 | 92.0 | 95.3 | 92.9 | 18.8 | 28.6 | 8.0 | 4.7 | 7.1 |
| 1925 | 74 | 44 | 85 | 134 | 30 | 86.5 | 70.6 | 94.1 | 94.8 | 80.0 | 13.5 | 29.4 | 5.9 | 5.2 | 20.0 |
| 1926 | 64 | 41 | 89 | 212 | 43 | 90.6 | 87.8 | 95.5 | 94.9 | 95.3 | 9.4 | 12.2 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 4.7 |
| 1927 | 69 | 58 | 61 | 271 | 25 | 75.5 | 84.5 | 93.5 | 97.8 | 100.0 | 14.5 | 15.5 | 6.5 | 2.2 | — |
Deaf
children.
During the year Mr. Wells examined 284 children with defective hearing, the
decisions regarding whom are set out on page 75. The cause of deafness in the
partially deaf, deaf and defective, and deaf, seen for the first time during the year,
was found in 48 cases to be congenital, and in 214 cases acquired, while in 22
cases the cause was uncertain. The congenital cases were classified as follows:—
Cause, of deafness.
True hereditary deafness 5
Sporadic deaf birth 38
Aphasia 5
Total 48
The acquired cases were classified as:—
Cause of deafness.
Disease of the nervous system 11
Infectious fevers 11
Other infectious disease 16
Nasal obstruction 22
Ear disease 153
Injury 1
Total 214
Mr. Wells also visited the schools for the deaf and partially deaf and examined
all the children. As a result, 12 children in schools for the partially deaf and one
child in a deaf school were returned to elementary schools as having improved. One
child in a school for the deaf was found to have improved, and being over 14 years
of age was allowed to leave. The reclassification table on page 75 gives particulars
of the re-allocation of 29 children already in attendance at special schools.
F