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 1925
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
This page requires JavaScript
114
First reinspections
of cases previously
referred for
treatment.
Second reinspections
of cases not
previously
discharged.
| Class of ailment and number seen. | Treated by doctor. | Treated under Council's scheme. | Treated at hospitals not in Council's scheme. | Not treated, but recovered. | Not treated. Improved. For observation | Not treated. Still needing treatment. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cured. | Not cured. | Cured. | Not cured. | Cured. | Not cured. | ||||
| Refraction, 19,556 .. | 108 | 52 | 5,281 | 2,307 | 507 | 313 | 1,243 | 2,479 | 7,266 |
| (0.5) | (0.3) | (27.0) | (11.8) | (2.6) | (1.6) | (6.4) | (12.7) | (37.1) | |
| Minor ailments | 289 | 68 | 2,675 | 1,023 | 437 | 315 | 2,393 | 994 | 2,199 |
| 10,393 | (2.8) | (0.7) | (25.7) | (9.8) | (4.2) | (3.0) | (23.0) | (9.6) | (21.2) |
| Nose and throat, | 105 | 20 | 3,503 | 259 | 850 | 124 | 1,494 | 1,726 | 6,847 |
| 14,928 | (0.7) | (0.1) | (23.5) | (1.7) | (5.7) | (0.8) | (10.0) | (11.6) | (45.9) |
| Teeth, 52,868 | 1,476 | 532 | 16,826 | 872 | 691 | 171 | 4,106 | 877 | 27,317 |
| (2.8) | (1.0) | (31.8) | (1.6) | (1.3) | (0.3) | (7.8) | (1.7) | (51.7) | |
| Other ailments, | 379 | 174 | 304 | 241 | 1,589 | 1,557 | 3,522 | 3,816 | 2,234 |
| 13,816 | (2.7) | (.13) | (2.2) | (1.7) | (11.5) | (11.3) | (25.5) | (27.6) | (16.2) |
| Total, 111,561 .. | 2,357 | 846 | 28,589 | 4,702 | 4,074 | 2,480 | 12,758 | 9,892 | 45,863 |
| (2.1) | (0.8) | (25.6) | (4.2) | (3.7) | (2.2) | (11.4) | (8.9) | (41.1) | |
| Class of ailment and number seen. | Treated by doctor. | Treated under Council's scheme. | Treated at hospitals not in Council's scheme. | Not treated, but recovered. | Not treated. Improved. For observation | Not treated- Still needing treatment. | |||
| Cured. | Not cured. | Cured. | Not cured. | Cured. | Not cured. | ||||
| Refraction, 11,182 .. | 60 | 32 | 2,440 | 1,209 | 276 | 172 | 948 | 1 ,665 | 4,380 |
| (0.5) | (0.3) | (21.8) | (10.8) | (2.5) | (1.5) | (8.5) | (14.9) | (39.2) | |
| .Minor ailments, | 61 | 35 | 843 | 495 | 159 | 172 | 968 | 502 | 1,155 |
| 4,390 | (1.4) | (0.8) | (19.2) | (11.3) | (3.6) | (3.9) | (22.1) | (11.4) | (26.3) |
| Nose and throat, | 46 | 13 | 1,519 | 108 | 417 | 58 | 1,184 | 815 | 3,000 |
| 7,750 | (0.6) | (0.2) | (19.6) | (1.4) | (5.4) | (0.7) | (15.3) | (10.5) | (46.3) |
| Teeth, 24,938 | 819 | 239 | 6,301 | 344 | 434 | 110 | 3,016 | 399 | 13,276 |
| (3.3) | (1.0) | (25.3) | (1.4) | (1.7) | (0.4) | (12.1) | (1.6) | (53.2) | |
| Other ailments | 83 | 76 | 107 | 127 | 616 | 777 | 2,047 | 1,926 | 1,147 |
| 6,906 | (1.2) | (1.1) | (1.6) | (1.8) | (8.9) | (11.3) | (29.6) | (27.9) | (16.6) |
| Total, 55,166 | 1,069 | 395 | 11,210 | 2,283 | 1,902 | 1,289 | 8,163 | 5,307 | 23.548 |
| (2.0) | (0.7) | (20.3) | (4.1) | (3.5) | (2.3) | (14.8) | (9.6) | (42.7) | |
Results of Dental Inspections.
The teeth of the children are inspected by the school doctors and the inspecting
dentists. The school doctors see the children in the course of statutory examinations
—viz., on entering school; at the ages of 8 and 12; and also on approaching the
age of 14. The dentists inspect the teeth of the children of the other ages. Overlapping
as between dentists and doctors is thus avoided.
Medical inspections.—At the medical inspections the school doctors examine
25 children in a session, and about 30 per cent. of the children are referred for
dental treatment. These examinations are conducted from a medical rather than a
dental point of view, and the cases largely consist of those in whom the dental
condition is affecting general health. The representative of the school care committee
is present at these examinations, and the care committees are able to follow up these
cases with a large measure of success. The children are re-inspected in due course
by the doctor, and the results of re-inspections are tabulated and reported annually
to the Council and to the Board of Education.
Dental inspections.—The inspecting dentists see about 125 children in a session,
and about 70 per cent. are found to require treatment. These include a large number
of slight cases where decay is just commencing and can only be detected by a specialist
using special appliances. Owing to the large number of cases and the importance
of not burdening the dentists with clerical labour, it has not been found possible to