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
London County Council 1914
Annual report of the Council, 1914 Vol. III public health...
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136 Annual Report of the London County Council, 1914.
| Classification. (1) | 1914. | 1913. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys. (2) | Girls. (3) | Total. (4) | Total. (5) | |
| Mentally and Physically Defective | 11 | 10 | 21 | 2 |
| Mentally and Physically Defective and Epileptic | — | 1 | 1 | — |
| Mentally Defective and Blind | 1 | 2 | 3 | — |
| Mentally Defective and Deaf | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Mentally Defective and Epileptic | — | 2 | 2 | — |
| Feeble-minded | 23 | 19 | 42 | — |
| Feeble-minded Epileptic | 2 | 4 | 6 | — |
| Imbecile | 280 | 249 | 529 | 146 |
| Imbecile and Epileptic | 9 | 14 | 23 | — |
| Imbecile and Dumb | — | 1 | 1 | — |
| Imbecile and Physically Defective | 9 | 2 | 11 | — |
| Imbecile, Blind and Physically Defective | — | 1 | 1 | — |
| Imbecile, Epileptic and Physically Defective | 1 | 1 | 2 | — |
| Idiot | 46 | 44 | 90 | — |
| Idiot and Blind | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| Idiot, Deaf and Dumb | 1 | 1 | 2 | — |
| Idiot and Dumb | 4 | — | 4 | — |
| Idiot, Dumb and Physically Defective | 3 | 3 | 6 | — |
| Idiot and Physically Defective | 1 | 3 | 4 | — |
| Idiot and Epileptic | 5 | 6 | 11 | — |
| Idiot, Epileptic and Physically Defective | 1 | 1 | — | |
| Idiot, Epileptic, Physically Defective and Dumb | 1 | — | ||
| Totals | 3,542 | 3,421 | 6,963 | 7,923 |
Rota visits.
The special schools were visited at least once a quarter, and every child present was seen at
least once during the year. The intended visits of the medical officers to the schools for the mentally
defective and physically defective were announced in the Council's Gazette at the beginning of each term,
and the head teachers were requested to present for examination all children included in the following
categories:—
(а) Those who had been admitted to the school during the preceding three months.
(б) Those who had not been seen for nine months.
(c) Those who were applying for exemption or were approaching the age of 14 years.
(d) Those whom it was considered desirable to place before the doctor.
The number of medical examinations under this head during the year was 14,026. The following table compares the recommendations made as regards re-classification in the case of scholars attending the schools for the mentally and physically defective, with the recommendations for the previous year (1913).
| Sex. (1) | Elementary school. (2) | Blind and Myope. (3) | Deaf and partially deaf. (4) | P.D. to M.D. (5) | M.D. to P.D. (6) | Excluded Imbecile. (7) | Invalid. (8) | Exemption recommended. (9) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys | 189 | 2 | 8 | 22 | 8 | 16 | 39 | 34 |
| Girls | 200 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 18 | 33 | 72 |
| Totals, 1914 | 389 | 6 | 14 | 32 | 13 | 34 | 72 | 1061 |
| Totals, 1913 | 359 | 7 | 15 | 57 | 10 | 73 | 93 | 293 |
The following return shows the categories under which exceptional children recorded in the area of the Council, on the 31st December, 1914, have been certified at special examinations:—
| Blind (including partially blind) | Attending Public Elementary Schools | 281 |
| Attending Certified Schools for the Blind | 470 | |
| Not at School | 41 | |
| - 792 | ||
| Deal and Dumb (including partially deaf) | Attending Public Elementary Schools | 55 |
| Attending Certified Schools for the Deaf | 714 | |
| Not at School | 7 | |
| - 776 | ||
| Mentally Deficient (excluding imbeciles and idiots) | Attending Public Elementary Schools | 155 |
| Attending Certified Schools for Mentally Defective Children | 7,747 | |
| Not at School | 28 | |
| - 7,930 | ||
| Physically Defective | Attending Public Elementary Schools | 77 |
| Attending Certified Schools for Physically Defective | ||
| children | 3,643 | |
| Not at School | 205 | |
| - 3,925 |
* In addition to these cases, 270 special examinations were also made in connection with applications for exemption
from further school attendance.