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 1912
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Report of the County Medical Officer—Education.
189
Suicidal tendency 1
Religious mania 1
Albinism 1
Microcephaly 19
Hydrocephaly 32
Cretinism 13
Mongolism 29
| Size of head in inches. | Age | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | |
| 18 | - | 4 | - | 6 | - | 2 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 18½ | 2 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 | - | 2 | — | — | — |
| 19 | 1 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 19½ | 4 | 33 | 28 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 20 | — | 29 | 23 | 17 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 5 | - | - |
| 20½ | 1 | 24 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 3 | — |
| 21 | 2 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 1 | — | - |
| 21½ | — | 5 | 8 | 5 | 7 | — | 4 | — | — | 3 |
| 22 | — | 2 | 3 | — | 3 | 1 | 4 | — | — | 1 |
| 22½ | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 23 | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
The maximum circumference of the head is thus clearly restricted. Adequate figures for comparison of these dimensions with those of children from the ordinary elementary schools of London are not available, but the comparison with American and Continental records is shown below:—
| Age. | Average maximum circumference in millimetres. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London (mentally defective). | New York (Hrdlicka). | Washington (Macdonald). | Posen (Landsburger). | Zurich (Hoesch Ernst). | |
| 6 | 495 | - | - | - | - |
| 7 | 506 | — | 518 | — | — |
| 8 | 508 | 516 | 520 | 513 | 520 |
| 9 | 506 | 519 | 522 | 517 | 520 |
| 10 | 515 | 520 | 525 | 518 | 522 |
| 11 | 510 | 525 | 526 | 519 | 525 |
| 12 | 517 | 525 | 529 | 525 | 531 |
| 13 | 508 | 530 | 532 | 523 | 527 |
| 14 | 508 | 533 . | 536 | — | 531 |
| 15 | 549 | - | - | - | - |
Family history.— The family histories contained in most cases considerable information as to
the health and physical conditions. From 2,000 records of—so far as is known—separate families
the following data were obtained of the affections of relatives:—
Consumption—
In parent 239
„ brothers or sisters 171
„ collaterals 273
,, grandparents 81
Heart disease 65
Repeated miscarriages of mother 81
Intemperance—
In father 241
„ mother 122
„ both parents 68
Cancer 123
Insanity—
In father 24
„ mother 49
„ brothers and sisters 19
„ collaterals 189
„ grandparents 108