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 1925
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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This represents a net result of 45-7 per cent, of ears cured of the completed cases.
| Purely deaf children — | Patients. | Ears. |
|---|---|---|
| Total number of attendances | 551 | 1,012 |
| „ „ „ cases | 177 | 326 |
| „ „ „ cases completely cured | 41 | 74 |
| Total number of cases improved | 9 | 17 |
| „ „ „ „ unrelieved | 22 | 35 |
| „ „ „ „ under treatment on 31st December, 1925 | 96 | 182 |
This represents as a net result of the completed cases 22.7 per cent. cured,
5.2 per cent. improved, 10.7 per cent. unrel eve 1.
The following table represents a complete analysis of all the lonisation work done at the ionisation centres from 1st April to 31st December, 1925
| Causes of suppuration. | Total cases. | Cured. | Lapsed. | Sent to hospital. | Still under treatment. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acute Supp. Otitis media. | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Chronic Supp. Otitis media due to I. Tympanic conditions solely— | |||||
| (a) Tympanic sepsis. | 475 | 298 | 9 | — | 168 |
| (6) T.S.—granulations | 136 | 75 | 2 | 2 | 57 |
| (c) T.S.—polypi | 22 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 13 |
| (d) T.S.—caries | 7 | 1 | — | 2 | 4 |
| (e) T.S.—other conditions | 10 | 3 | — | — | 7 |
| II. Tympanic conditions combined with— | |||||
| (a) Tonsils and adenoids | 21 | 17 | — | 1 | 3 |
| (6) Nasal conditions | 29 | 23 | — | — | 6 |
| (e) Oral conditions | — | — | — | — | — |
| III. Tympanic conditions combined with— | |||||
| 163 | 33 | 7 | 25 | 98 | |
| (6) Mastoid disease (no operation) | 156 | 11 | 4 | 70 | 71 |
| (c) Mastoid (operation already) | 39 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 19 |
| IV. Tympanic conditions combined with— | |||||
| (a) External otitis | 2 | — | — | — | 2 |
| (6) Stricture of meatus | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
| External otitis | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | 5 |
| Cause undetermined | — | — | — | — | — |
| Totals | 1.069 | 484 | 29 | 102 | 454 |
It will be seen that 1,069 ears were ionised, and of these 29 lapsed ; 102 were
sent to hospital for mastoid operation; 484 were cured and 454 were still under
treatment at the end of the year.
This represents, as a net result, of the completed cases, 46-5 per cent, cured.
The percentage of cures is smaller than might be obtained by a more strict selection
of cases.
The reasons for this are as follows :—
Firstly, the cases which have been referred to the aurists for treatment, and in
particular by the treatment centre doctors, have been, in the main, advanced cases
of disease. They represent to a very large extent the worst cases under treatment
at the centres.
Secondly, instead of making a strict selection of the cases, and only ionising
those which appeared to be suitable cases, it has been the practice to go far beyond
this, even beyond what may be termed border line cases; and an endeavour has
been made to convert a large number of unsuitable cases into suitable ones, sometimes
with success but often without. This has naturally rendered the percentage
of successes rather low. If regard to high statistical results had been the first
consideration, this could have been attained by dealing only, by ionisation, with
those cases which were from the outset suitable.