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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134
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1913.
The figures for 1913 are as follows:—
| No. examined. | No. with Hutchinsonian Teeth. | No. with Interstitial Keratitis. | Other symptoms of Syphilis. | Total. * | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Routine—Entrants, 8-9, Leavers | 199,858 | 54 | 3 | 8 | 63 |
| Specials (all ages) | 17,463 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 20 |
| 58 | 13 | 15 | 83 |
Physical
condition of
children in
special
schools.
* These figures represent the number of children reported to be affected. In some cases both Hutchinsonian
Teeth and Interstitial Keratitis or other symptom occurred in the same child.
Examination of Children in Special Schools.—During 1913 the children in special schools for the
Deaf, Blind, and Mentally Defective, arriving at the ages of 8 and 12, were examined, by the school
doctors as to their general physical condition. The particular defects for which the children were
referred to the special schools were kept under constant supervision by the special school doctors,
quite apart from any age-group examination.
| Cases referred for treatment. | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. exam'd. | Total. | Teeth. | Vision or eye disease. | Ear disease or hearing. | Heart disease or anaemia. | Nervous diseases. | Skin diseases. | Tuberculosis. | |||||||||
| Boys age 12 | 714 | 313 | 43.8% | 143 | 20.0% | 114 | 16.0% | 26 | 36.% | 14 | 2.0% | 6 | .8% | 11 | 1.5% | 2 | .3% |
| Girls „ | 505 | 231 | 45.7% | 92 | 18.2% | 98 | 19.4% | 18 | 36.% | 7 | 1.4% | 6 | 1.2% | 5 | 1.0% | 2 | .4% |
| Boys age 8 | 295 | 121 | 41.0% | 47 | 15.9% | 24 | 8.1% | 29 | 9.8% | 5 | 1.7% | - | - | 8 | 2.7% | 1 | .3% |
| Girls „ | 195 | 87 | 44.6% | 39 | 20.0% | 14 | 7.2% | 22 | 11.3% | 1 | .5% | 1 | .5% | 5 | 2.6% | - | - |
While in regard to teeth and visual defect the percentage of children requiring treatment is
much the same in these schools as in the ordinary schools, it is noteworthy that a larger proportion
of cases of ear disease and defective hearing, nervous diseases, heart disease and anæmia, and, as already
pointed out, tonsils and adenoids, were noted for treatment among mentally defective children than
among children in ordinary elementary schools.
Schools for deaf and blind children.—The number of children in these schools is about
700, viz.:—400 in schools for the deaf and 300 in those for the blind. The number of children
arriving at the ages for. examination is, therefore, necessarily very small.
The following are the figures of children examined and the number referred for treatment for various causes.
| Schools for Blind. | Schools for Deaf. | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. examined. | No. for treatment. | Teeth. | Nose and throat. | Eyes. | Ear disease. | No. examined. | No. for treatment. | Teeth. | Nose and throat. | Eye disease. | Ear defects. | |
| Boys age 12 | 32 | 11 | 7 | - | 1 | 1 | 39 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Girls „ 12 | 39 | 15 | 4 | 4 | - | - | 34 | 7 | 1 | - | 4 | - |
| Boys age 8 | 27 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 | - | 32 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Girls „ 8 | 13 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | 26 | 8 | 3 | - | 4 | - |
Special
examinations
The proportion recommended for treatment in these schools is very similar to that for ordinary
elementary schools, but the figures for particular defects are too small to make a trustworthy
comparison.
Special and Urgent Examinations.—The cases included under this heading comprise children who
are referred for examination for some special defect and children examined in open air classes or
as to suitability for holiday journeys. The children in these groups are not classified with regard to
Clothing, Cleanliness, Teeth, Vision, &c. 25,563 children were examined as special or urgent cases
during the year.
The figures showing the number referred for treatment and the reasons for treatment were:—
| No. examined. | No. for treatment | Skin disease | Teeth. | Eyes or vision. | Far disease. | Hearing | Heart disease. | Anæmie | Lungs. | Phthisis | Other Tubercular disease | Defermities. | In fectious disease. | Melou tritien. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys | 12,258 | 6,219 | 1,011 | 547 | 2,214 | 799 | 223 | 66 | 142 | 190 | 145 | 78 | 83 | 34 | 104 |
| 50.7 | 8.2 | 4.5 | 18.1 | 6.5 | 1.8 | .5 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.2 | .6 | .7 | .3 | .8 | ||
| Girls | 13,305 | 6,748 | 840 | 586 | 2,574 | 796 | 248 | 125 | 196 | 141 | 168 | 65 | 90 | 59 | 89 |
| 50.7 | 6.3 | 4.4 | 19.3 | 6.0 | 1.9 | .9 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 1.3 | .5 | .7 | .4 | .7 |