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 1906
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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The relation of mouth-breathing and its accompanying conditions can be obtained from Miss Ivens's observations, as follows :—
| Actual numbers. | Percentages. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children. | Passed the test. | Failed in the test. | Existing Suppuration. | Remains of old disease. | Existing Suppura-ation. | Remains of old disease. | Failed to pass the hearing test. | |
| There were of— Mouth-breathers | 360 | 200 | 160 | 53 | 99 | 15.0 | 27.5 | 49 |
| Partial mouth-breathers | 66 | 42 | 24 | 4 | 8 | 6.0 | 12.0 | 36 |
| Non-mouth- breathers | 580 | 465 | 115 | 16 | 69 | 2.8 | 12.0 | 20 |
| Totals | 1,006 | 707 | 299 | 73 | 176 | 7-2 | 17-4 | 31 |
The percentages of children with more or less of the mouth-breathing habit may be represented
in these various groups by the black portions of the diagrams.
Diagram V.
This enormous proportion of disease, existing or past, associated with mouth-breathing shows the
importance this habit may have in determining whether an attack for instance of measles will leave
permanent and serious damage. The condition of mouth-breathing is more apparent to teachers than
even deafness and its educational influence so important that it is set out in relation to the marks awarded
by teachers for mental capacity. To eliminate errors from selection of the children among the younger
or older groups, they are omitted and a fairly homogeneous group of children, aged 11, 12 and 13 years
last birthday, is taken.
Hearing and mouth-breathing in relation to mental capactiy:—
| There were of the children in the groups below. | Numbers. | Percentages getting marks 1 to 5 for mental capacity. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||
| Satisfactory Hearing | f Boys | 279 | - | 3 | 28 | 37 | 31 |
| Girls | 329 | 5 | 155 | 27 | 30 | 22.5 | |
| Unsatisfactory Hearing | Boys | 125 | 1 | 5 | 36 | 41 | 18 |
| Girls | 145 | 7 | 13 | 28 | 34.5 | 17 | |
| Not mouth-breathers | Boys | 207 | _ | 4 | 28 | 33 | 35 |
| Girls | 311 | 6 | 13 | 28 | 31 | 22 | |
| Mouth- breathers | Boys | 153 | 1 | 6 | 26 | 45 | 22 |
| Girls | 170 | 5 | 22 | 26 | 30 | 176 | |
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