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 1941
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]
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In addition to the ordinary dental work of fillings and extractions, a
considerable amount of "regulation" work has been done. 91 regulation
plates, and 4 dentures were supplied. 1,082 visits were made by children
to the Dental Clinic for regulation purposes.
The amount of dental disease present in children at various ages is shown by the following table relating to school children inspected by the school Dentists:—
| Age groups (in years) | No. of inspections of children | No referred for treatment. | Percentage. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1,145 | 731 | 63.8 |
| 6 | 1,401 | 943 | 67.3 |
| 7 | 1,320 | 904 | 68.4 |
| 8 | 1,564 | 1,136 | 72.6 |
| 9 | 1,633 | 1,120 | 65.5 |
| 10 | 1,585 | 1,059 | 66.8 |
| 11 | 1,159 | 787 | 67.9 |
| 12 | 1,024 | 743 | 72.5 |
| 13. | 1,059 | 738 | 69.7 |
| 14-15 | 202 | 128 | 63.4 |
Full details of the dental work are shown in Table IV.
Treatment for Uncleanliness .—No statutory notices were served under
the Education Act, 1921, Section 87.
The School Nurses paid 122 visits to the schools (an average of 5 visits to each school during the year), for the purpose of inspecting the heads and clothing of the children, with the following result:—
| Number of Examinations of Children. | Number Infected. | Per cent. |
|---|---|---|
| 24,543 | *697 | 2.8 |
*36 of this number were found to be infected with living vermin; the
remainder with nits only. A child with any nits in the hair at all is included
in these figures.
The percentage for the past 5 years were as follows:—
| 1937 | 1.7 |
| 1938 | 1.5 |
| 1939 | 1.5 |
| 1940 | 1.8 |
| 1941 | 2.8 |
These figures do not include the Gilbraltarians housed at the Girls'
Village Homes, Barkingside, 171 were inspected in 1941, of whom 82 were
found unclean and cleansed by nurses of the Essex C.C.
Other Ailments.—During 1941 36 children were operated on for
the removal of enlarged tonsils and adenoids, under the agreement with
Queen Mary's Hospital, Stratford, 2 as in-patients. 1 child was treated
free on necessitous grounds.
Under the agreement with the King George Hospital, 67 children were
operated on at that Hospital, 44 as in-patients, for the removal of enlarged
tonsils and adenoids, 8 children being treated free on necessitous grounds.
In addition to the treatment of tonsils and adenoids, 19 letters were given
to Ilford school children, for whom hospital treatment was required, to attend
Queen Mary's Hospital.
The Open-Air School was closed at the outbreak of war and has not been
re-opened.