London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1918
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
This page requires JavaScript
TABLE A. Table showing the results of medical inspection in London Elementary and Special Schools.
| Entrants. | Intermediate. | Leavers. | Total in Age Groups. | Special cases. | Special schools. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys. Girls. | Boys. | Girls. | Boys. | Girls. | Boys and Girls. | Boys. | Girls. | Children in schools for the mentally defective. | Deaf. | Myope. | ||
| Number examined | 39,088 | 38,648 | 31771 | 31,423 | 32,776 | 33,232 | 206,938 | 22,912 | 24,202 | 1,318 | 89 | 172 |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | ||||
| Skin diseases (f) | 1,010 2.6 | 803 2.1 | 682 2.1 | 486 1.5 | 664 2.0 | 450 1.4 | 4,095 2.0 | 2,811 | 1,915 | 19 1.4 | 1 1.1 | 1 0.6 |
| „ (x) | 654 1.7 | 513 1.3 | 464 1.4 | 323 1.0 | 403 1.2 | 249 0.7 | 2,606 1.3 | 2,481 | 1,719 | 12 0.9 | 1 1.1 | 1 0.6 |
| Enlarged tonsils (f) | 6,591 16.9 | 6,517 16.9 | 4,232 13.3 | 4,470 14.2 | 3,033 9.3 | 3,740 11.3 | 28,583 13.8 | 674 | 876 | 132 10.0 | 4 4.5 | 12 7.0 |
| Adenoid growths (f) | 3,134 8.0 | 2,552 6.6 | 1,876 5.9 | 1,518 4.8 | 1,096 3.3 | 913 2.7 | 11,089 5.4 | 533 | 519 | 114 8.6 | 1 1.1 | 4 2.3 |
| Tonsils or adenoids (x) | 3,078 7.9 | 2,785 7.2 | 2,149 6.8 | 2,009 6.4 | 1,354 4.1 | 1,444 4.3 | 12,819 6.2 | 815 | 915 | 85 6.5 | — | 5 2.9 |
| Other throat or nose defects(f) | 1,227 3.1 | 840 2.2 | 900 2.8 | 599 1.9 | 817 2.5 | 543 1.6 | 4,926 2.4 | 283 | 329 | 80 6.1 | 3 3.4 | 8 4.7 |
| „ „(x) | 248 0.6 | 163 0.4 | 223 0.7 | 133 0.4 | 203 0.6 | 146 0.4 | 1,116 0.5 | 217 | 240 | 21 1.6 | — | — |
| Enlarged glands of neck (f) | 3,836 9.8 | 3,566 9.2 | 3,387 10.7 | 2,939 9.4 | 2,391 7.3 | 2,446 7.4 | 18,565 9.0 | 247 | 253 | 118 9.0 | 1 1.1 | 14 8.1 |
| „ „ (x) | 144 0.4 | 120 0.3 | 135 0.4 | 102 0.3 | 57 0.2 | 67 0.2 | 625 0.3 | 112 | 123 | 6 0.5 | — | — |
| Dental defects (x) | 11,030 28.2 | 10,922 28.3 | 10,135 31.9 | 9,853 31.4 | 7,863 24.0 | 7,979 24.0 | 57,782 27.9 | 1,198 | 1,382 | 320 24.3 | 8 9.0 | 32 18.6 |
| External eye disease (f) | 1,847 4.7 | 1,853 4.8 | 1,186 3.7 | 1,237 3.9 | 892 2.7 | 943 2.8 | 7,958 3.9 | 895 | 951 | 94 7.1 | 2 2.2 | 14 8.1 |
| „ „ (x) | 1,150 2.9 | 1,155 3.0 | 620 2.0 | 612 1.9 | 400 1.2 | 398 1.2 | 4,335 2.1 | 740 | 800 | 38 2.9 | — | 2 1.2 |
| Vision (x) | — | — | 3,116 9.8 | 3,387 10.8 | 4,524 13.8 | 4,913 14.8 | 15,940 12.6 | 1,667 | 1,955 | 179 14.6 | — | — |
| Ear disease (f) | 957 2.4 | 970 2.5 | 621 2.0 | 642 2.0 | 637 1.9 | 647 1.9 | 4,474 2.2 | 947 | 693 | 49 3.7 | 1 1.1 | 5 2.9 |
| „ „ (x) | 564 1.4 | 554 1.4 | 383 1.2 | 353 1.1 | 423 1.3 | 403 1.2 | 2,680 1.3 | 705 | 533 | 32 2.4 | — | — |
| Defective hearing (f) | 317 0.8 | 330 0.9 | 400 1.3 | 405 1.3 | 467 1.4 | 473 1.4 | 2,392 1.2 | 276 | 271 | 62 4.7 | 4 4.5 | 6 3.5 |
| „ (x) | 87 0.2 | 87 0.2 | 150 0.5 | 152 0.5 | 187 0.6 | 209 0.6 | 872 0.4 | 205 | 209 | 25 1.9 | — | 1 0.6 |
| Stammering (f) | 56 0.1 | 28 0.1 | 64 0.2 | 33 0.1 | 152 0.5 | 46 0.1 | 379 0.2 | 38 | 13 | 9 0.7 | — | 2 1.2 |
| „ (x) | 3 0.0 | 1 0.0 | 5 0.0 | 1 0.0 | 13 0.0 | 6 0.0 | 29 0.0 | 24 | 10 | — | — | — |
| Other speech defects (f) | 219 0.6 | 124 0.3 | 178 0.6 | 94 0.3 | 109 0.3 | 82 0.2 | 806 0.4 | 38 | 24 | 33 2.5 | 3 3.4 | 3 1.7 |
| „ (x) | 5 0.0 | 3 0.0 | 5 0.0 | 2 0.0 | 3 0.0 | 23 0.0 | 11 | 8 | — | — | — | |
| Heart defects (f) | 1,002 2.6 | 982 2.5 | 1,066 3.4 | 1,101 3.5 | 1,109 3.4 | 1,535 4.6 | 6,795 3.3 | 439 | 670 | 72 5.5 | 3 3.4 | 5 2.9 |
| „ (x) | 47 0.1 | 51 0.1 | 48 0.2 | 71 0.2 | 77 0.2 | 102 0.3 | 396 0.2 | 124 | 215 | 4 0.3 | — | — |
| Anaemia (f) | 1,899 4.9 | 1,746 4.5 | 1,379 4.3 | 1,510 4.8 | 972 3.0 | 1,320 4.0 | 8,826 4.3 | 452 | 719 | 57 4.3 | 16 18.0 | 4 2.3 |
| „ (x) | 559 1.4 | 507 1.3 | 448 1.4 | 492 1.6 | 285 0.9 | 438 1.3 | 2,729 1.3 | 297 | 444 | 17 1.3 | 4 4.5 | 1 0.6 |
| Lung complaints (f) | 3,103 7.9 | 3,011 7.8 | 1,479 4.7 | 1,347 4.3 | 967 3.0 | 934 2.8 | 10,841 5.2 | 624 | 620 | 78 5.9 | 3 3.4 | 8 4.7 |
| „ (x) | 868 2.2 | 907 2.3 | 339 1.1 | 296 0.9 | 170 0.5 | 138 0.4 | 2,718 1.3 | 305 | 280 | 17 1.3 | 2 2.2 | 1 0.6 |
| Nervous diseases (f) | 429 1.1 | 463 1.2 | 425 1.3 | 446 1.4 | 326 1.0 | 454 1.4 | 2,543 1.2 | 552 | 720 | 46 3.5 | — | |
| „ (x) | 73 0.2 | 61 0.2 | 73 0.2 | 52 0.2 | 52 0.2 | 71 0.2 | 382 0.2 | 247 | 302 | 8 0.6 | — | 1 0.6 |
| Phthisis (f) | 46 0.1 | 59 0.2 | 51 0.2 | 62 0.2 | 60 0.2 | 60 0.2 | 338 0.2 | 187 | 193 | 1 0.1 | — | 1 0.6 |
| „ (x) | 24 0.1 | 26 0.1 | 28 0.1 | 33 0.1 | 22 0.1 | 29 0.1 | 162 0.1 | 111 | 116 | — | — | 1 0.6 |
| Other tubercular disease (f) | 134 0.3 | 88 0.2 | 81 0.3 | 70 0.2 | 80 0.2 | 69 0.2 | 522 0.3 | 225 | 210 | 3 0.2 | — | 2 1.2 |
| „ (x) | 55 0.1 | 24 0.1 | 26 0.1 | 26 0.1 | 24 0.1 | 19 0.1 | 174 0.1 | 114 | 115 | 1 0.1 | — | 1 0.6 |
| Rickets (f) | 1,208 3.1 | 604 1.6 | 575 1.8 | 306 1.0 | 384 1.2 | 250 0.8 | 3,327 1.6 | 71 | 63 | 42 3.2 | — | |
| „ (x) | 139 0.4 | 82 0.2 | 16 0.1 | 10 0.0 | 33 0.1 | 7 0.0 | 287 0.1 | 42 | 39 | 3 0.2 | — | — |
| Deformities (f) | 486 1.2 | 285 0.7 | 471 1.5 | 486 1.6 | 580 1.8 | 945 2.8 | 3,253 1.6 | 190 | 262 | 50 3.8 | 1 1.1 | 10 5.8 |
| „ (x) | 159 0.4 | 72 0.2 | 102 0.3 | 144 0.5 | 145 0.4 | 319 1.0 | 941 0.4 | 119 | 144 | 1 1.1 | 3 1.7 | |
| Infectious disease (f) | 68 0.2 | 60 0.2 | 23 0.1 | 17 0.1 | 7 0.0 | 12 0.0 | 187 0.1 | 69 | 88 | 1 0.1 | — | — |
| „ (x) | 42 0.1 | 39 0.1 | 14 0.0 | 8 0.0 | 5 0.0 | 5 0.0 | 113 0.1 | 44 | 56 | 1 0.1 | — | — |
| Malnutrition (f) | 403 1.0 | 378 1.0 | 318 1.0 | 324 1.0 | 155 0.5 | 171 0.5 | 1,749 0.8 | 157 | 169 | 7 0.5 | 1 1.1 | — |
| „ (x) | 233 0.6 | 239 0.6 | 202 0.6 | 210 0.7 | 71 0.2 | 90 0.3 | 1,045 0.5 | 95 | 99 | 2 0.2 | 1 1.1 | — |
| Other defects (f) | 1,291 3.3 | 1,186 3.1 | 899 2.8 | 922 2.9 | 814 2.4 | 1,020 3.1 | 6,132 3.0 | 973 | 1,247 | 38 2.9 | 3 3.4 | 4 2.3 |
| „ (x) | 719 1.8 | 635 1.6 | 470 1.4 | 464 1.5 | 361 1.1 | 408 1.2 | 3,057 1.5 | 618 | 709 | 13 1.0 | 1 1.1 | 2 1.2 |
| Number of cases noted for treatment | 16,566 42.4 | 15,915 41.2 | 15,253 48.0 | 15,194 48.4 | 13,957 42.6 | 14,589 43.8 | 91,474 44.2 | 8,706 | 9,409 | 646 49.0 | 19 21.3 | 59 34.3 |
| Number of cases where parent was present | 27,480 70.3 | 27,716 71.7 | 16,309 51.3 | 18,194 57.9 | 11,925 36.3 | 15,748 47.4 | 117,372 56.7 | 465 35.3 | 12 13.5 | 56 32.6 | ||
= Defects found. x = Defects noted for treatment. * The number of children with defective vision appears in Table B.