Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]
This page requires JavaScript
159
The increased proportion of defects discovered in the Entrants
Group is accounted for by two circumstances.
There has been an unusual increase in the incidence of
catarrhal infections; particularly nasopharyngeal catarrh, aural
defects, bronchial catarrh, conjunctivitis and blepharitis.
Again the incidence of malnutrition has been the subject
of extremely careful consideration throughout the year, and special
surveys and investigations have resulted in the inclusion under
this heading of children whose nutrition is only slightly subnormal.
Apart from these facts the findings of medical inspection do
not call for any special comment.
(a) Uncleanliness.
The School Nurses have carried out 3 cleanliness surveys
of all the children in the elementary schools during the year 1934.
During the year the School Nurses made 47,550 examinations,
as compared with 50,064 in 1933. Of this number 140
children showed vermin and many nits in the hair (349 in 1933),
whilst 776 children showed only a few nits (1,395 in 1933).
A greater number of exclusion certificates have been issued.
Comparative table:—
Year | Number Examined | Number with Nits | Number with Head Vermin | No. of Exclusion Certificates |
---|---|---|---|---|
1930 | 51,607 | 1,844 | 510 | 60 |
1931 | 48,607 | 1,438 | 273 | 58 |
1932 | 50,513 | 1,637 | 321 | 76 |
1933 | 50,064 | 1,395 | 349 | 120 |
1934 | 47,550 | 776 | 140 | 151 |