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
City of Westminster 1914
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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largest numbers were dental, nose and throat cases. The difficulty
noted in the last report, of obtaining early conservative dental treatment
(that is to say, stopping teeth as opposed to extracting them) grows no
less, and it is still a frequent experience for children with early dental
decay, remediable at the time without the loss of the tooth, to go untreated
until several teeth are affected, some of them now beyond saving. No
more important step in furthering the usefulness of the Centre could be
taken than by improving the facilities for prompt dental treatment. It
is hoped that before the new year is far advanced means will have been
found to surmount this difficulty."
Dr. Jewesbury divides those examined according to age, and gives a list of defects found, of which the following are the principal:—
| Age of Child | 0—1 | l—2 | 2—3 | 3—4 | 4—5 | 5 and over. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number inspected | 253 | 97 | 79 | 42 | 27 | 31 |
| Defectives | 135 | 61 | 56 | 23 | 23 | 25 |
| Improperly fed | 26 | 6 | — | — | — | — |
| Rickets | 9 | 19 | 12 | 5 | — | — |
| Wasting and general debility | 5 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Gastro-enteritis | 25 | 15 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Tonsils and adenoids | — | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Enlarged glands | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Congenital syphilis | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| *Inclusive of children improperly fed. | ||||||
These figures compared with those of the previous year also show
improvements similar to those indicated at the North Centre.
Dr. Jewesbury notes a point of interest, that since the War, on
account of the separation allowances, there appears to have been less
poverty than in former years and the children in many cases have
benefited by this.
Special attention is given to the children of tuberculous parents
and to suspect cases, and 144 children were reported upon at the two
centres (116 at the South Centre, 28 at the North).
The information relating to children, which is obtained through the
visiting of families, is supplied to the school medical inspector when he
examines the "entrants" at each school, and the value of this is
enhanced when the child has been under regular medical supervision
previously.
The Council gave instructions that periodical visits should be paid
to the families of the Council's employees on active service. Some
had removed to relatives in the country, but 231 families were visited
and in only five instances were the circumstances found to be unsatisfactory.
In four of the cases the mothers were spending their money
on drink and more or less neglecting their homes and children. The