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94
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1914.
Diseases of
nervous
system.
The percentages of children referred for treatment in successive years shows that there has been
some reduction during the past year in the number of serious cases met with.
The number of children noted during the year to be suffering from nervous disease was 2,262,
that is 0'99 per cent, of all examined, compared with 11 per cent, in 1913 and 0 93 per cent, in 1912.
The following table gives the age and sex distribution during the past year.
Entrants.
8—9.
Leavers.
Cases found.
Referred for
treatment.
Cases found.
Referred for
treatment.
Cases found.
Referred for
treatment.
%
%
%
%
%
%
Boys
0.8
0.13
1.05
0.16
1.04
0.17
Girls
0.8
0.09
1.12
0.14
1.27
0.21
Entrant boys and girls show no difference in incidence, but at other ages there is a slightly heavier
incidence upon girls ; and while the percentage in the 8-9 group and in the leavers was the same amongst
boys, there is a slightly heavier incidence on the leaver girls. The percentages are, however, gratifyingly
small and no great stress should probably be laid upon the sex differences, although the slightly higher
incidence on leaver girls than on leaver boys has remained persistent during the three years.
During the first term cases of epilepsy, chorea and paralysis were separately noted with the
following results :—
No. examined. Epilepsy. Chorea. Paralysis.
Entrants 3,400 3 3 4
Leavers 56,366 49 54 47
Tuberculosis,
, 755 children, or 0 33 per cent., were notified as suffering from phthisis and 631, or 0.28 per
cent, presented other tuberculous lesions. The corresponding figures for 1913 were 0.4 per cent, and
0.37 per cent., and for 1912 were 0.3 per cent, and 0.24 per cent., respectively.
Entrants.
8—9.
Leavers.
Phthisis.
Other forms.
Phthisis.
Other forms.
Phthisis.
Other forms.
% % % % % %
Boys, 1914 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.43 0.31
1913 0.3 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.4
1912 0.23 0.24 0.32 0.3 0.36 0.23
Girls, 1914 0.3 0.2 0.29 0.22 0.41 0.27
1913 0.3 0.2 0.5 0.3 0.5 0.3
1912 0.3 0.2 0.36 0.37 0.3 0.15
The percentages of phthisis and other tuberculous diseases remain exceedingly low for children
examined in the age groups. There are distinctly more cases, however, found at the leaver age than
at the other ages. The differences between the sexes in phthisis are so small as to be negligible, there
is, howeVer a distinctly greater incidence on boys in every age group in the case of other tuberculous
diseases. It is interesting to note that amongst children examined as urgent cases 571 or 3 per cent,
were found to be suffering from phthisis and of the children out of school 917 or 9 per cent, were
fortified to be suffering from the same disease.
Examination
of tuberculosis
contacts.
Dr. J. G. Forbes, divisional medical officer in the south eastern area, has carefully made records
of the medical inspection of 271 children living in contact with tuberculous patients in the boroughs of
Bermonrlsev and Greenwich, and the following is a summarv of the results he obtained.
The sex incidence among all contacts was 145 males and 127 females; among contacts showing
pulmonary defects, it was 25 males and 20 females, and among tuberculous members of the affected
families, the incidence was almost equally divided, 71 being male and 68 female—one or both parents were
affected in 63 families, brothers and sisters in 65 families. In Bermondsey the majority of affected
families occupied two rooms, and in Greenwich three rooms. Overcrowding was generally more evident
among Bermondsey than among Greenwich families, but in Greenwich the two-roomed homes were
rather more crowded than those in Bermondsey, the average being 3.3 persons per room in the former
and 3 persons per room in the latter.
The general appearance and state of nutrition of Bermondsey contacts showed a lower standard
than those in Greenwich. The state of nutrition of the Greenwich contacts indeed, compares favourably
with that of the average of all London children. The influence of the number of occupants per room
on the contacts was rather more marked in Bermondsey than in Greenwich, and the numbers of those
showing a poor state of nutrition, or being under average weight for age, or exhibiting pulmonary defects
were found to be in direct proportion to the amount of crowding, thus:—
Bermondsey. Greenwich.
2 occupants per room 13 out of 55 12 out of 46were in a poor state of nutrition.
3 ,, „ 10 ,, 65 1 ,, 14 ,, ,, ,, ,, ,,
4 ,, ,, 7 „ 18 5 „ 17 ,,
5 ,, ,, .. 3 „ 12 — ,, —
2 occupants per room 33 out of 55 28 out of 46 w ere below average weight for age
3 ,, 38 ,, 65 8 „ 14 ,, ,, ,,
4 „ 11 „ 18 10 „ 17 ,, ,, ,,
5 „ „ 8 ,, 12 — ,, — ,, ,, ,,