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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condition of
paralytics.
Report of the County Medical Officer—Education. 139
The provision of suitable education for epileptic children continues to present difficulties. The
voluntary institutions generally restrict their accommodation to children of the less troublesome type,
and these are the very children with whom parents and guardians are most unwilling to part. The
remainder of the cases for whom provision is more urgently needed have no possibility of educational
or colony treatment. These children are placed in the Council's schedule as "invalided," but this
term merely denotes that they arc unfit for any existing educational institution. During the year, 70
epileptic children were scheduled as suitable for admission to colonies and at the end of the year, 72
were attending certificated schools for epileptics while 144 epileptic children were invalided (out of school)
either awaiting an institution or because their parents were unwilling for them to be sent from home. The
above numbers show all the children who require special provision on account of epilepsy. There are,
in addition, a considerable number of epileptic children who are attending school regularly, and to whose
condition it is inadvisable, for the sake of the children themselves, to draw special attention.
Epileptics.
The results are shown in the following table which indicates that the mental condition is better in the cases of the spinal than of the cerebral paralysis, and of the latter the cases of hemiplegia are better than those of spastic diplegia or paraplegia.
| Above Average. | Average. | Below Average. | Definitely below average Almost on border lino of mental deficiency. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poliomyelitis | 63 (18.2%) | 169 (48.7%) | 89 (25.6%) | 26 (7.5%) |
| Hemiplegia | 6 (8.8%) | 22 (32.4%) | 21 (30.9%) | 19 (27.9%) |
| Diplegia and Paraplegia | 0 (0.0%) | 10 (15.1%) | 16 (24.2%) | 40 (60.6%) |
Schools for
the
physically
defective.
D. A. C. Williams has contributed the following analysis from the medical record cards of the 3,631 children who have been in attendance at schools for the physically defective during the year:—
| (1) | Tuberculous Diseases | (6) | Various Deformities | ||
| Spine | 389 | Rickets | 114 | ||
| Hip | 441 | Septic Osteitis | 34 | ||
| Knee | 214 | Amputations | 101 | ||
| Ankle and Tarsus | 38 | Scoliosis and Kyphosis | 69 | ||
| Elbow | 20 | Coxa Vara | 8 | ||
| Various | 43 | Malunited Fractures, etc. | 13 | ||
| —1145 | Scarring from Burns | 5 | |||
| Achondroplasia | 8 | ||||
| (2) | 625 | Various | 42 | ||
| — 399 | |||||
| (7) | 705 | ||||
| (3) | |||||
| Hemiplegia | 85 | (8) | |||
| Paraplegia | 48 | Chorea | 92 | ||
| Diplegia | 37 | Alleged Phthisis | 26 | ||
| — 170 | Bronchiectasis, Chronic Bronchitis | ||||
| and Asthma | 33 | ||||
| (4) | Old Empyema and Pleurisy | 10 | |||
| Pseudohypertrophic and other pro | Severe Anæmia with Leukaemia, etc. | 39 | |||
| gressive Paralyses | 18 | Nephritis | 10 | ||
| Various Paralyses | 36 | Epilepsy | 6 | ||
| — 54 | Lupus | 5 | |||
| Various | 32 | ||||
| (5) | Delicate, Convalescent, etc. | 32 | |||
| Dislocation of the Hip | 74 | — 285 | |||
| Talipes Equinovarus | 90 | (9) | 28 | ||
| Various | 56 | ||||
| — 220 | 3,631 |
The actual changes in the percentage distribution in the years 1907, 1908, 1912, and 1914, during which the medical details were collected on a uniform basis were as follows:—
| Defect. | 1907 | 1908 | 1912 | 1914 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuberculous Disease | 45.6 | 40.3 | 33.4 | 31.5 |
| Heart Disease | 11.4 | 12.5 | 18.3 | 19.4 |
| Paralysis | 17.8 | 18.6 | 21.6 | 23.3 |
| Chronic disease (chorea, epilepsy, phthisis) | 5.1 | 6.6 | 7.7 | 6.9 |
| Various deformities (rickets, septic, congenital) | 13.0 | 15.6 | 15.9 | 17.0 |
| Other defects (eyes, ears, tracheotomy, etc.) | 1.6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .7 |
| Delicate, convalescent, and children kept under observation | 5.3 | 5.3 | 2.4 | .8 |
Mental
The results are shown in the following
table which indicates that the mental condition is better in the cases of the spinal than of the cerebral
paralysis, and of the latter the cases of hemiplegia are better than those of spastic diplegia or paraplegia.
Above
Average.
Average.
Below
Average.
Definitely
below average
Almost on border
lino of mental
deficiency.
Poliomyelitis
63 (18.2%)
169 (48.7%)
89 (25.6%)
26 (7.5%)
Hemiplegia
6 (8.8%)
22 (32.4%)
21 (30.9%)
19 (27.9%)
Diplegia and Paraplegia
0 (0.0%)
10 (15.1%)
16 (24.2%)
40 (60.6%)
27715 T2