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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210
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1912.
The following is the first summary of the physical condition of the inmates of the places of detention.
| Eyes— | Epilepsy (Convulsions) | 4 | |
| Vision defective | 29 | Verminous | 133 |
| Squint | 9 | Ringworm | 15 |
| Blepharitis | 21 | Scabies | 15 |
| Ophthalmia | 8 | Impetigo | 26 |
| Ears— Deaf | 3 | Sores, boils, &c. | 105 |
| Eczema and psoriasis | 15 | ||
| Discharge | 13 | Favus | 1 |
| Nose—Adenoids | 26 | Deformities | 15 |
| Throat Tonsils enlarged | 26 | Infantile paralysis | 1 |
| Cleft palate | 1 | ||
| Tonsillitis | 3 | Enlarged spleen | 1 |
| Enlarged glands | 76 | Enlarged liver | 1 |
| Heart— Valvular | 14 | Hernia | 6 |
| Varicocele | 6 | ||
| Functional | 13 | Gonorrhoea | 2 |
| Lungs Tubercle | 13 | Rickets | 15 |
| Suicide attempted | 3 | ||
| Catarrh | 17 | Accidents | 5 |
| Tuberculosis other than pulmonary | 40 | Chickenpox | 8 |
| Anaemia | 16 | German measles | 4 |
| Pallor (see below) | 15 | Whooping Cough | 6 |
| Rheumatism | 14 | Mumps | 1 |
| Dull and Backward.. | 19 | Erysipelas | 1 |
| Syphilis (hereditary) | 1 | Vaccinated, boys | 63% |
| Pneumonia | 2 | Vaccinated, girls | 65% |
| Pleurisy | 2 | ||
It is clear that dirt and overcrowding are responsible for much of the illness discovered.
Dr. Hawkes notes a peculiar pallor, which is not a true anaemia, in a certain number of children and
he thinks that he has found the condition associated with cases in which the account given indicates that
four, five or more children have been sleeping in one bed. He mentions that this condition is not persistent,
but that a dose of aperient mixture and increased cubic space at night, soon brings the skin back
to its normal condition.
Miscellaneous.
Co-operation
between the
School
Attendance
and Public
Health
Departments
end of six months. Two thousand and ninety-five certificates have been submitted to the School Medical Officer and the following table gives particulars of 618 cases in which action was taken.
| Division. | Children recommended for examination. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| By the Divisional medical officers at the local offices. | With a view to admission to special schools. | With a view to admission to open air schools. | Total. | |
| — | — | |||
| — | ||||
| — | ||||
| — | ||||
| 1 | — | |||
| — | ||||
| — | ||||
| — | — | |||
| — | ||||