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
Wimbledon 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wimbledon]
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The total number of fillings amounted to 2,394 or one
hundred and forty-seven less than during the previous year.
The number of teeth extracted shows an increase of three
hundred and twelve, the total figure for the year being 3,291.
Eight hundred and thirteen general anaesthetics were administered
for dental extractions, an increase of sixty-four as
compared with the figure for 1937.
It will be noticed that very little time is now devoted to
the filling of temporary teeth, only twelve being filled during
the year. It is considered essential to devote as much of the
available time as possible to the preservation of permanent
teeth.
(h) Orthopaedic and Postural Defects. Sessions of the
Orthopasdic Clinic were held on the afternoon of the second
Wednesday in each month, with the exception of August.
Fifty-four new cases were seen and one hundred and
seventy-one re-examinations were carried out. The average
number of children seen by the orthopaedic surgeon per session
was twenty. During the previous year the figure was twentythree.
The following table shows the nature of the defects from which the children were suffering.
| Infantile Paralysis | 1 |
| Spastic Hemiplegia | 1 |
| Spastic Paraplegia | 1 |
| Birth Palsy | 2 |
| Trauma | 10 |
| Deformities due to previous Rickets | 5 |
| Spinal Curvature | 3 |
| Flat foot, knock-knee, pes cavus, etc. | 32 |
| Postural defects | 43 |
| Hallux Valgus | 1 |
| Internal derangement of knee joint | 1 |
| Tuberculous joints (arrested) | 1 |
| Arthritis of knee | 2 |
| Enlarged Bursa | 1 |
| Torticollis | 2 |
| Exostosis | 1 |
| Congenital defects | 3 |
| Other defects | 15 |
| Total | 125 |