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
Enfield 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Enfield]
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67
1930 1931 1932 1933 1934
Percentage of children vaccinated
40 42 42 37 37
DEFECTS FOUND AT ROUTINE MEDICAL INSPECTION.
Uncleanliness.—Of 3,378 children examined, 15 were found to
have vermin in their heads and 279 had nits.
The following is a comparative table for the last five years:—
| 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of children examined | 2,514 | 2,790 | 3,087 | 2,869 | 3,378 |
| Number of children with verminous heads | 82 | 64 | 54 | 21 | 15 |
| Percentage of children with verminous heads | 3.3 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Number of children found to have nits | 335 | 328 | 281 | 224 | 279 |
| Percentage of children found to have nits | 13.4 | 11.7 | 9.1 | 7.8 | 8.2 |
These figures indicate that the improvement in cleanliness
apparent since 1930 has been maintained. The conditions found
consisted of nits and vermin in the head; in no case during the year
was a child found to have body vermin.
Malnutrition.—Three cases of malnutrition were seen during
the course of routine inspection.
Skin Diseases.—Fifteen cases were seen; fourteen required
treatment and one was kept under observation.
Ear Disease.—Eighteen cases of middle ear disease were found ;
also 53 cases of defective hearing. All these cases were referred
to the Aural Clinic for treatment.
The following is a comparative table for the last five years:—
| 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of children examined | 2,514 | 2,790 | 3,087 | 2,869 | 3,378 |
| Number of cases of Middle Ear Disease found | 24 | 11 | 18 | 23 | 18 |
| Percentage of cases of Middle Ear Disease found | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| Number of cases of Defective Hearing found | 40 | 42 | 56 | 53 | 53 |
| Percentage of cases of Defective Hearing found | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.6 |
Tonsils and Adenoids.—One thousand and two children had
already had operation for removal of tonsils and/or adenoids; 512
were found to have enlarged tonsils, adenoids, or both.