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
Wandsworth 1971
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth, Metropolitan Borough]
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| Chicken-pox | 329 |
| Dysentery, diarrhoea or enteritis | 78 |
| Erysipelas | |
| Food poisoning | 2 |
| German measles | 124 |
| Glandular fever | 2 |
| Impetigo | 20 |
| Influenza | 4 |
| Jaundice | 4 |
| Measles | 182 |
| Mumps | 21 |
| Ophthalmia and conjunctivitis | 19 |
| Pneumonia | 1 |
| Ringworm (body) | 24 |
| Ringworm (scalp) | 6 |
| Scabies | 23 |
| Scarlet fever | 29 |
| Sore throat | 2 |
| Tonsillitis | 29 |
| Whooping cough | 24 |
| Other illnesses | 3 |
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.
Medical treatment of schoolchildren
The number of sessions, new cases and total attendances at
school treatment centres during 1971 were as follows:—
| Type of clinic | Sessions | New cases | Attendances |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minor ailments (nurse) | 588 | 886 | 7,789 |
| Minor ailments (doctor) | 58 | 147 | |
| Special investigation (i.e. enuresis, obesity and behaviour problems) | 245 | 235 | 1,557 |
| Dental | 4,626 | 9,424 | 22,998 |
| Vision | 331 | 929 | 4,208 |
| Orthoptic | 187 | 71 | 397 |
| Audiology | 64 | 151 | 574 |
More detailed information about some of these clinics will be
found later in this report.