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
Ilford 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]
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Tuberculosis:-
| Pulmonary:— | |
| Suspected | — |
| Non-Pulmonary:— | |
| Glands | 1 |
| Nervous System:— | |
| Epilepsy | 3 |
| Chorea | 8 |
| Other conditions | 29 |
| Deformities:— | |
| Spinal Curvature | 4 |
| Other forms | 19 |
| Other Defects and Diseases | 304 |
| Total number of ailments | 2,219 |
(6) Ophthalmic Department.— During the year 1931 the School
Oculist held 90 sessions for the refraction of children suffering
from defective vision. Full details of the work are given in
Table IV, Group II, on page 160.
622 school children were examined, 67 of these being cases
referred for refraction in 1930.
Of the 622 cases, 299 were referred from medical inspection,
163 were referred from the School Clinic, 117 were " under
observation" cases re-examined, 43 were re-examined at parents'
request.
The 622 children were not all suffering from grave defects of vision. The following table shows the vision in the worst eye, as tested by Snellen's Type:—
| 6/6 | 6/9 | 6/12 | 6/18 | 6/24 | |||
| 65 | 74 | 55 | 63 | 38 | 35 | 17 | 11 |
The children who saw 6/6 (practically normal vision) were suffering from
symptoms such as headaches, inflamed eyelids, etc., which rendered further
examination necessary.
Of the 622 children examined, 500 were found to require
spectacles, 196 being children who had previously had spectacles
and 304 (new cases) by reason of the following defects:—