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 1922
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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| Other Physically Defectives, e.g., defectives and other children suitable for admission to open-air schools— | Boys. | Girls. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attending public elementary schools (d) | 4,900 | 4,810 | 9,710 |
| Attending certified day schools for physically defective children | 79 | 68 | 147 |
| Attending certified residential schools for physically defective children | |||
| In institutions other than certified schools | 151 | 131 | 282 |
| Attending open-air schools | 270 | 240 | 510 |
| Attended playground classes | 1,200 | 1,900 | 3,100 |
| Attended certified holiday camps (e)— | |||
| Bushy | 3,154 | — | 3,154 |
| Margate | — | 451 | 451 |
| St. Leonards | 159 | 151 | 310 |
| Not at school (b) | 741 | 1,168 | 1,909 |
| Retarded two years | 9,415 | 8,573 | 17,988 |
| Retarded three years | 492 | 552 | 1,044 |
(a) These figures refer to cases of partial blindness and partial deafness.
(b) The number "not at school" includes children permanently disabled, certified as unfit to attend
school for various periods, in the country, etc. Many are in attendance at other institutions, such as hospitals,
or in the care of the Metropolitan Asylums Board.
(c) Feebleminded children imbeciles and idiots. This includes certain children who have been transferred
to institutions outside the county, and also some under school age. A certain number have been dealt with
under the Mental Deficiency Act; others are under the care of the Metropolitan Asylums Board as the Poor Law
Authority.
(d) The figures of the physically defectives in the ordinary schools are made up from the returns of routine
inspection, and may include certain cases which also come under other categories. The greater number of these
cases would not be in any way certifiable as defective in the terms of the Education Act,1921, the crippling not
being of such an extent as to interfere with ordinary education.
(e) The figures refer to the number of children passed through the camps during the year (accommodation
31.12.22—Bushy 300, Margate 64, St. Leonards 40).
TABLE IV. Treatment of Defects of Children during 1922. A.—Treatment of Minor Ailments.
| Disease or defect. | Number of children. | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Referred for treatment by school doctor. | Treated. | ||||||||||||
| Under scheme. | Otherwise. | Total. | |||||||||||
| Scabies | 1,954 | 3,944 | — | 3,944 | |||||||||
| Ringworm—Head | 2,766 | 1,507 | 1,411 | 2,918 | |||||||||
| —Body | 142 | ||||||||||||
| Impetigo | 1.110 | ||||||||||||
| Other Skin Diseases | 2,064 | 66,027 | 1,578 | 67,605 | |||||||||
| Ear Disease | 4,339 | ||||||||||||
| Eye Disease | 3,150 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 15,525 | 71,478 | 2,989 | 74,467 | |||||||||
| B.—Treatment of Visual Defect. | |||||||||||||
| Number of children. | |||||||||||||
| Referred for refraction by school doctors. | Submitted to refraction under scheme. | Treated by private agencies (hospitals, etc.). | Total number treated. | ||||||||||
| No. refracted. | Spectacles [prescribed. | Spectacles obtained. | Other forms of treatment. | ||||||||||
| 23,881 | 32,752 | 24.407 | 21,266 | 8,345 | 1,871 | 34,623 | |||||||
| C.—Treatment of Defects of Nose and Throat. | |||||||||||||
| Number of children. | |||||||||||||
| Referred for treatment. | Treated under scheme. | Treated otherwise. | Total treated | ||||||||||
| Operation cases. | Other cases. | ||||||||||||
| 13,001 | 6,430 | 2,290 | 1,805 | 10,525 | |||||||||