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
Walthamstow 1946
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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10
First attendances number 5,292 against 4,301 in 1945, and
re-attendances 10,257 against 8,514, the total attendances being
15,449 against 12,815.
(d) Visual Defects and External Eye Diseases.—Dr. Sheppard
has kindly contributed the following account of the work done
during 1946:—
There were 516 new cases seen at the Eye Clinic during 1946
and these, as well as the ordinary periodical inspections, made 2,856 attendances.
The following tables summarise the defects found in the new cases:—
| Defect. | Under 7 years. | 7-11 years. | Over 11 years. | Secondary Schools. | Total. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys. | Girls. | Boys. | Girls. | Boys. | Girls. | Boys. | Girls. | Boys. | Girls | |
| Hypermetropia | 3 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 14 | 2 | - | 22 | 24 |
| Hypermetropic Astigmatism | 1 | 2 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 22 | 33 |
| Myopic Astigmatism | - | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 19 |
| Mixed Astigmatism | - | _ | 6 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 17 |
| Myopia | 2 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 17 | 32 | 17 | 21 | 39 | 68 |
| Various | 33 | 30 | 33 | 48 | 31 | 53 | 7 | 12 | 104 | 143 |
| Totals | 39 | 41 | 63 | 88 | 73 | 121 | 37 | 54 | 212 | 304 |
The details of the group described as "various" are as follows:—
| Defects. | Boys. | Girls. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squint | 45 | 54 | 99 |
| Headaches, anæmia, styes, debility, amblyopia, etc. | 33 | 50 | 83 |
| No visual defects | 25 | 41 | 66 |
(e)
| Cases treated for squint, heterophonia and Amblyopia | 72 |
| Cases cured of squint and heterophonia | 25 |
| Cases cured of amblyopia | 16 |
| Improved | 10 |
| Operations for squint | 3 |
| Awaiting operation | 25 |
| New cases | 134 |
| Total number of attendances | 1,051 |