Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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the teeth treated. Tonsils and adenoids—In 6 cases the children were referred to
the throat and nose specialist for treatment. Eye conditions—20 cases of defective
vision were discovered at the second examination of the children. One child was
found to have extensive corneal scarring, the result of ulceration. Lungs—33 children
exhibited lung affections. In the majority of them, 20 cases, this was bronchitis,
generally of a chronic nature. There were 4 cases of asthma, 1 of bronchiectasis,
and 8 of the children showed definite signs of fibrosis. Circulatory system—There
was only 1 case of organic disease of the heart. This was in a rheumatic child
admitted after correspondence with Great Ormond-street Hospital. At a later date
this child was returned to the elementary school as being unsuitable for the openair
school. Feeble cardiac action was noted in one child, and 5 were reported on
as having defective circulation. 83 children were anaemic. Rheumatism—Very
few children suffering from rheumatic conditions were presented for admission,
and of these only 2 were accepted. Nervous system—7 children showed affections
of the nervous system. There were 2 cases of slight chorea,1 case of slight infantile
paralysis, and 4 children were classed as nervously unstable.
"Treatment.—45 children were found to require treatment at the centres for
47 defects. The results of these recommendations were :—
Defect. Treated. Under treatment. Untreated. Total.
Enlarged tonsils and adenoids 2 1 3 6
Defective vision 10 5 5 20
Otorrhœa — 2 — 2
Dental Caries 7 7 6 20
Total 19 14 14 47
"Thirty-five children were considered to be in need of further treatment other
than set out above. Extra milk was ordered in six cases, cod liver oil in 24, and
5 children were given Parrish's chemical food. This last was provided out of a private
fund at the school.
"109 children gained in height whilst 47 remained stationary. Regarding
weight 151 children gained, 3 remained the same, and 2 lost weight. Of the 2
children who lost weight, the loss in each case being less than .5kg., 1 was a boy
who showed an initial gain and then became a bad attender, the other was an
unsatisfactory chest case which was referred back to hospital. The average gain
in height of the children was 2 cm., and the average gain in weight 2.5 kgs. The
average gain in height of the 50 children admitted in April was 2.3 cms., and their
average increase in weight 2.7 kgs. It is interesting to note that of the 114 children
on the roll when the school closed for the holidays in July, 22 lost weight during
the holidays. The average loss in weight in these cases being rather more than
.5 kg.
"With regard to improvement in physical condition other than that indicated
by the above date it was found, as might be expected, that generally speaking the
group of children who showed nothing more than poor nutrition and anaemia
improved more than did those who had, e.g., some lung condition. Cervical glands—
5 cases showed definite improvement. Lungs—Only 6 out of the 20 cases of
bronchitis exhibited no amelioration of the usual winter symptoms. 4 of the
children have not had any attacks during the colder weather, and in the other 10
the bronchitis has been of a slighter degree. Circulatory system—The case of
organic heart disease is now off the roll. The child with feeble cardiac action
remains the same, whilst 2 out of the 5 cases of defective circulation have definitely
improved. 53 of the anaemic children still showed definite anaemia, but only 10
of them showed no improvement, either in facial colouring or in the appearance of
the mucous membranes. In 30, then, of these anaemic children the condition had
disappeared. (In the main these children were those suffering from that slight