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
Kensington 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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14
School Medical Service.
Sir Frederick Menzies, the county medical officer, has kindly made it possible for me to give the
following particulars of the routine medical examination of elementary school children carried out
in 1937 in Kensington.
Table showing number examined and defects found.
| Number examined | Boys. | Girls. | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entrants. 824 | Age 7. 580 | Age 11. 544 | Age 14. 699 | Entrants. 801 | Age 7. 592 | Age 11. 569 | Age 14. 699 | |||||||||
| Cases. | * | Cases. | * | Cases. | * | Cases. | * | Cases. | * | Cases. | * | Cases. | * | Cases. | * | |
| Malnutrition | 7 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | — |
| Skin disease | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 3 |
| Defective teeth | — | 314 | — | 209 | — | 180 | — | 260 | — | 319 | 196 | — | 175 | — | 266 | |
| Enlarged tonsils | 88 | 7 | 41 | 8 | 20 | ' | 22 | 1 | 85 | 12 | 52 | 11 | 23 | 6 | 21 | 6 |
| Adenoids | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| >Enlarged tonsils and adenoids | 28 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 26 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Other nose and throat defects | 5 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | — |
| Enlarged glands | 86 | 1 | 81 | 4 | 47 | 1 | 48 | — | 67 | 2 | 75 | 5 | 42 | 1 | 32 | 1 |
| Eye disease | 34 | 22 | 15 | 5 | 13 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 26 | 15 | 12 | 4 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 4 |
| Vision defects | — | — | — | 24 | — | 40 | — | 56 | — | — | — | 31 | — | 47 | — | 55 |
| Otorrhoea | 8 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Other ear disease | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — |
| Defective hearing | 5 | 2 | 4 | — | 3 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 3 | |
| Speech defects | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Heart defects | 20 | — | 17 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 16 | — | 11 | — | 9 | — | 14 | 1 |
| Anaemia | 7 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 7 | — | 7 | 2 |
| Lung defects | 27 | 3 | 11 | 5 | 3 | — | 5 | 2 | 21 | 4 | 14 | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 |
| Nervous defects | 9 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | — | 3 | — | 3 | — | 5 | 1 | — | — |
| Phthisis | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Other T.B. disease | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Rickets | 11 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 4 | — | 7 | — | 8 | 1 | 3 | — | 1 | — | 4 | — |
| Spinal deformities | 2 | — | 1 | — | 7 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 1 | — | 5 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 8 |
| Other deformities | 13 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 22 | 2 |
| Other defects | 21 | 8 | 19 | 11 | 17 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 18 | 9 | 18 | 10 | 25 | 10 | 21 | 5 |
| —Number of children noted for treatment | 367 | 254 | 238 | 323 | 364 | 256 | 244 | 323 | ||||||||
| * Defects however slight are included under "cases"; those severe enough to require treatment are shown under *. | ||||||||||||||||
Table showing the conditions in regard to clothing, nutrition, cleanliness, teeth and vision of the children examined.
| Age Groups. | Number examined. | Clothing and boots. | Nutrition. | Cleanliness of head. | Cleanliness of body. | Teeth. | Vision. | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good. | Fair. | Poor. | Good. | Average. | Below normal. | Bad. | Clean. | Nits. | Pediculi. | Clean. | Dirty. | Pediculi. | All sound. | Less than 4 decayed. | Four or more decayed. | 6/6 in both eyes. | 6/9 in either or both eyes. | 6/12 or worse in either or both eyes. | ||
| Entrants | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Boys. | 824 | 263 | 558 | 3 | 193 | 599 | 32 | — | 821 | 1 | 2 | 822 | 2 | — | 462 | 269 | 93 | — | — | — |
| Girls | 801 | 297 | 501 | 3 | 197 | 574 | 30 | — | 791 | 4 | 6 | 798 | 3 | — | 424 | 267 | 110 | — | — | — |
| Age 7. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Boys | 580 | 142 | 438 | — | 104 | 437 | 39 | — | 580 | — | — | 580 | — | — | 339 | 209 | 32 | 337 | 191 | 41 |
| Girls | 592 | 157 | 431 | 4 | 127 | 433 | 32 | — | 588 | 4 | — | 592 | — | — | 379 | 168 | 45 | 359 | 163 | 62 |
| Age 11. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Boys | 544 | 145 | 396 | 3 | 121 | 396 | 27 | — | 544 | — | — | 543 | 1 | — | 351 | 174 | 19 | 353 | 123 | 65 |
| Girls | 569 | 152 | 417 | — | 107 | 432 | 30 | — | 568 | 1 | — | 568 | 1 | — | 386 | 171 | 12 | 349 | 131 | 87 |
| Age 14. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Boys | 699 | 183 | 511 | 5 | 148 | 510 | 41 | — | 697 | 2 | — | 698 | 1 | — | 433 | 248 | 18 | 484 | 109 | 101 |
| Girls | 699 | 283 | 413 | 3 | 200 | 484 | 15 | — | 691 | 4 | 4 | 695 | 3 | 1 | 425 | 263 | 11 | 462 | 129 | 105 |
| Total | 5,308 | 1,622 | 3,665 | 21 | 1,197 | 3,865 | 246 | — | 5,280 | 16 | 12 | 5,296 | 11 | 1 | 3,199 | 1,769 | 340 | 2,344 | 846 | 461 |
| Percentage | 30.6 | 69.0 | 0.4 | 22.6 | 72.8 | 4.6 | 99.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 99.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 60.3 | 33.3 | 6.4 | 64.2 | 23.2 | 12.6 | ||
| London | 55.6 | 44.1 | 0.3 | 16.5 | 77.4 | 6.1 | 97.6 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 99.1 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 70.2 | 26.3 | 3.5 | 67.6 | 19.0 | 13.4 | ||