London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Wandsworth 1969

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth, Metropolitan Borough]

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100
A close watch is maintained on the incidence of infectious
disease in schools and in this context I am indebted to the teaching
staff for supplying early information about illness in the
schools, and to the general practitioners, medical officers, public
health inspectors and health visitors for co-ordinating the investigation
and management of cases and contacts.
Ringworm
Seven cases of ringworm of the scalp occurred during the year,
one of which involved a schoolchild aged five years. The condition
was due to Trichophyton soudanese and there was a good response
to treatment. I wish to thank Dr. T. M. Clayton, Department of
Medical Mycology, St. John's Hospital for Diseases of the Skin,
Lisle Street, W.C.2, for carrying out an epidemiological investigation
at the child's school. No evidence of ringworm was detected
on clinical examination of 250 children and all laboratory tests
proved to be negative for the disease.

Medical treatmentofschoolchildren

The number of sessions, new cases and total attendances at school treatment centres during 1969 were as follows:—

Type of clinicSessionsNew asesAttendances
Minor ailments (nurse)7941,51110,480
Minor ailments (doctor)107321
Special investigation (i.e. enuresis, obesity and behaviour problems)2322121,504
Dental2,9985,53614,895
Vision3201,0774,025
Orthoptic19569371
Ear, nose and throat3239149
Audiology60161529

More detailed information about some of these clinics will be
found later in this report.
Handicapped pupils
Handicapped pupils who may need special educational treatment
are referred from many sources. In some cases (e.g. delicate
children or those with physical handicaps) examinations are carried
out by school medical officers and recommendations made by the
Principal School Medical Officer either direct to the Education
Officer or to the Medical Adviser of the Inner London Education
Authority. In other cases (e.g. children who are partially sighted,
blind, deaf or maladjusted) the examinations are carried out by
staff of the Medical Adviser, who makes his recommendations to
the Education Officer.