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
West Ham 1950
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]
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TREATMENT
RINGWORM. The number of cases of ringworm of the scalp treated during the year was
four. One of them was referred for X-ray treatment.
The figures for previous years are given for comparison:-
| Total Number Treated | Received X-ray Treatment | |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 | 27 | 22 |
| 1946 | 24 | 16 |
| 1947 | 15 | 9 |
| 1948 | 7 | 6 |
| 1949 | 2 | 1 |
MINOR AILMENTS» The treatment of minor ailments is undertaken at the school clinics.
The total number of conditions treated at these clinics during the year was 6,465. Following
is an analysis of this figures-
External Eye Diseases 522
Minor Ear Defects 363
Skin Diseases 782
Miscellaneous Defects 4,798
The number of new cases seen at three individual clinics was as follows:-
Clinic New Gases
Stratford 2,478
Balaam Street 1,945
Rosetta Road 1,913
It is, of course, necessary for many of the patients to attend on more than one occasion, and some indication of the volume of work carried out at these clinics will be obtained from the following tables-
| Clinic | No. of Attendances |
|---|---|
| Stratford | 10,007 |
| Balaam Street | 11,195 |
| Rosetta Road | 7,403 |
| Total | 28,605 |
It will be observed from these figures and those given in Appendix 4, that there
has been a material decrease in the number of minor ailments treated at these clinics since
the peak year of 1948 when 8,626 cases were registered. The number of clinic attendances,
which may give some indication of the severity of the conditions, have been steadily decreasing
for a longer period, from the post-war record of 41,746 in 1946. It is difficult to say
whether this is an indication of gradual improvement in the health of the school child or of
a tendency to consult the private practitioner rather than the school medical officer now that
everyone is entitled to a doctor of their own. While it is a little early to draw any firm
conclusions, it does appear probable that the tendency to use these clinics less and less
is becoming fairly well set, and this may at some future stage have an important bearing on
policy. However, the 28,605 attendances recorded above are obviously sufficient to require
a substantial service for the time being and no immediate modifications appear to be called for.
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