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 1928
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Correlating intelligence quotients with cephalic indices (Table A) it is found
that there is a greater proportion of intelligence amongst the broadheaded than
amongst the narrowheaded.
Of 19 myopes with I.Q.'s from 66-85, 37 per cent. are brachy- or hyperbrachycephalic.
,, 28 „ „ „ „ 86-95, 46 per cent. do.
„ 29 „ „ „ „ 96-105, 52 per cent. do.
„ 26 „ „ „ „ 106-115, 50 per cent. do.
„ 8 „ „ „ „ 116-145, 87.5 per cent. do.
Table E, showing the intelligence quotients with relation to the myopia in dioptres, calculated from the mean of the four meridians of the two eyes.
| Mean myopia in dioptres. | Intelligence quotients. | Total. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66—75. | | 76—85. | 86—95. | 96—105. | 106-115. | 116-125. | 126-135. | 136-145. | ||
| 4—6 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 30 or 27.3% | |
| 7—9 | — | 6 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 2 | — | 45 or 10.9% |
| 10—12 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 2 | — | — | 25 or 22.7% |
| 13—15 | — | 3 | 1 | 4 | - | - | — | — | 8 or 7.3% |
| 16—18 | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 2 or 1.8% |
| Total | 1 or 0.9% | 18 or 16.4% | 28 or 25.5% | 29 or 26.4% | 26 or 23.6% | 4 or 3.6% | 3 or 2.7% | 1 or 0.9% | 110 |
Speaking generally, the degree of intelligence does not increase the amount of
myopia, but rather the reverse, the highest percentage of children with quotients
above the average being in the group with six dioptres or less of myopia.
Of 30 children with 4-6 dioptres of myopia, 47 per cent. have I.Q.'s of 106 and over.
„ 45 „ „ 7-9 do. 29 per cent. do.
„ 25 „ „ 10-12 do. 28 per cent. do.
„ 10 „ „ 13-18 do. none do.
Comparing Gentiles and Jews it appears that the greatest percentage of high
myopia occurs amongst the former, although the numbers examined are too small
to form any definite conclusion.
Dr. E. J.
Boome'e
investigation
of the
condition of
children
visiting the
hop gardens,
1928.
This report is based upon information gathered in London and in the
hop gardens.
In London.—Arrangements were made in as many schools as possible for pupils
proceeding to the hop gardens to be examined by the school doctors, both before
and after the visit to the hop gardens. Each child after the return from the hop
gardens was seen again by the same doctor by whom he had previously been examined.
At the second examination the doctors were asked to report in the case of each
child whether the health was improved, deteriorated or unchanged as a result.
A special inspection card was used on which the members of the school care committee
entered particulars derived from the parents and children of the conditions under
which they sojourned in the hop country.
Owing to the fact that many of the children originally examined did not actually
proceed to the hop gardens, and some who did were not available for re-examination
when the doctor again visited for the purpose, the number of children for whom
records were completed after return were 1,510.