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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The interests of the children, however, were pre-eminently the first consideration,
and every possible means was resorted to before submitting them to treatment
by mastoid operation. It will be seen, therefore, that 46.5 per cent. cured cases
does not give the true assessment in value that must be placed upon ionisation.
If the percentage were stated with reference to "all cases," it would be much higher,
but would then, of course, include many early cases which would clear up promptly.
It has been decided that a better arrangement would be to work through all
cases attending the treatment centres in turn. In this way all the cases, not merely
the worst cases at any particular centre, will be dealt with and early cases cleared
up, with advantage to the children, and further, the ultimate effect will be to tend
towards the elimination of "late" cases of ear discharge in children, which is one
of the most important objects to achieve.
This arrangement is to be put into operation during the year 1926.
The details of the work done at the after-care clinic, Kentish Town, including the mastoid operations done at the Downs Hospital, are as follows:—
| Patients. | Ears. | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of eases treated at after care clinic | 224 | 269 |
| Number discharged from Downs Hospital | 172 | 207 |
| „ t reated here and discharged cured | 83 | 93 |
| „ still under treatment 31st December | 60 | 82 |
| „ treated at L.C.C. clinics, etc. | 9 | 10 |
| ,, discharged Downs Hospital dry | 16 | 18 |
| „ sent to Downs Hospital for further operation | 2 | 2 |
| „ lapsed | 2 | 2 |
| In addition a certain number of cases were treated at the after-care clinic which had no operation, viz.:— | ||
| Number of cases treated | 77 | 90 |
| „ discharged cured | 72 | 84 |
| „ still under treatment | 5 | 6 |
(d) Dental defects.—58 part time inspecting dentists were engaged in
examining the teeth of children in the schools, and 2,240 sessions were devoted
to this work. 262,482 children were inspected and of these 182,524
(6954 per cent.) were found to require treatment. 112,964 children were
treated at the Council's centres, or 13,919 more than in the preceding year.
Dental report
by Mr. C.
Edward
Wallis.
Since 1910, when the first dental centre was opened in Blackfriars. no less than
56 dental centres have been established.
It will be convenient to summarise the experience gained under the following
headings:—
1. Propaganda.
2. Staff.
3. Co-ordination of work.
4. Supervision of work.
5. Output of work.
6. Payment for treatment.
Propaganda.—It is abundantly clear that it is useless to open a dental clinic
without a preliminary and continuous course of dental propaganda directed to
the parents, school teachers, and voluntary and other workers engaged in "followingup,"
and accordingly every effort is made to obtain intelligent and instructed
co-operation whereby the parents can be made to see the advantages to health and
school progress dependent upon healthy mouths and teeth. With this aim in view
lantern lectures on dental hygiene are given to parents, elder children, and care
committee members wherever found necessary.
One of the common hindrances to school dental treatment is the apathy and
want of interest of the parents, and there is constant effort to remove this, with the