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 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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114 Annual Report of the London County Council, 1913.
From the foregoing it will be seen that of 925 children wearing spectacles, 664, or 72 per
cent., had glasses which apparently remedied the defect as far as possible, and 261, or 28 per cent., had
glasses which could be improved upon. Of those with suitable spectacles, the glasses made the vision
equal to normal in 69 instances ; 128 had fair sight (i.e., not worse than <; in one or both eyes), 185
had poor sight (i.e.. 6/12 in the poorer eye), and 282 (42.5 per cent.) had bad sight.
If a comparison be made between children aged 12 wearing glasses deemed to be suitable, and all children of that age whether wearing spectacles or not, the following result is obtained :—
| No. of cases. | Sight 6/6 in both eyes. | Sight 6/9 in either or both eyes. | Sight 6/12 or worse in either or both eyes. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children with suitable spectacles | 664 | 69 (10.4%) | 128 (19.3%) | 467 (70.3%) |
| All children | 54,458 | 25,826 (47.4%) | 15,453 (28.4%) | 13,179 (24.2%) |
Among 261 children wearing glasses considered unsuitable and who were referred for further
treatment, none could with the aid of the spectacles read with each eye the 6 type at six metres, only
7 could read the 9 type at 6 metres, and 22 the 12 type at 6 metres ; the remaining 2-32 failed to
read the 12 metre type at 6 metres with both eyes (tested separately).
External eye
diseases.
In the schedule of the Board of Education the term "external eye disease includes
blepharitis, conjunctivitis, diseases of cornea and lens, muscular defects (squints, nystagmus,
twitchings), etc. During the year 1913, 4,038 cases of external eve disease wore found and noted for
In the schedule of the Board of Education the term "external eye disease includes blepharitis, conjunctivitis, diseases of cornea and lens, muscular defects (squints, nystagmus, twitchings), etc. During the year 1913, 4,038 cases of external eve disease wore found and noted for treatment, as shown in the following summary (details as to the cases in each borough will bo found in the Appendices III to V),
| No. of children examined. | Cases of external eye disease. | Cases of eye disease referred for treatment | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entrants. | Boys | 40,017 | 1,821 4.5% | 1,099 2.7% |
| Girls | 39,603 . | 1,842 4.7% | 1,070 2.7% | |
| 8-9 (i.e., children born in 1905) | Boys | 31,643 | 1,228 3.9% | 550 17.% |
| Girls | 31,257 | 1,287 4.1% | 544 1.7% | |
| 12 (i.e., children born in 1901) | Boys | 27,143 | 914 3.4% | 382 1.4% |
| Girls | 27,495 | 996 3.6% | 393 1.4% | |
Cases of external eye disease are more prevalent among infants, and the prevalence
decreases with age. There appears to be a slightly higher incidence among girls, but if only the
severer cases (i,e„ those referred for treatment) are considered, the incidence on boys and girls is
practically the same.
The records show how the numbers of external eye cases are made up, and an analysis has
been made of the cases reported among children examined in the boroughs of Islington,
Hampstead and Shoreditch, which taken together are fairly representative districts, and comprise about one-ninth of the London school children examined.
| Entrants. | 8-9 | Leavers. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys. | Girls. | Boys. | Girls. | Boy 8. | Girls. | |
| No. of children examined | 4,041 | 4,179 | 3,646 | 3,703 | 3,302 | 3,177 |
| No. of cases of eye disease | 242 | 241 | 167 | 216 | 170 | 109 |
| „ „ „ for treatment | 170 | 165 | 79 | 97 | 97 | 74 |
| Cases of Blepharitis | 56 | 64 | 46 | 58 | 42 | 55 |
| „ „ „ for treatment | 40 | 47 | 29 | 40 | 23 | 30 |
| Cases of Conjunctivitis | 31 | 21 | 18 | 24 | 15 | 21 |
| „ „ for treatment | 20 | 13 | 8 | 16 | 9 | 12 |
| Cases of Squint | 101 | 94 | 72 | 70 | 72 | 46 |
| „ „ for treatment | 72 | 64 | 26 | 34 | 47 | 20 |
| Cases of Ophthalmia | 19 | 17 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 8 |
| „ „ for treatment | 19 | 17 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 6 |
| Opacities noted | 17 | 14 | 9 | 16 | 17 | 24 |
| „ „ for treatment | 5 | 1 | 1 | - | 3 | - |