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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special schools in connection with applications for non-enforcement of attendance
at special schools and for similar reasons.
As a result of the visits and re-examinations the following reclassification
took place: 25 were transferred from schools for the physically defective to schools
for the mentally defective; 1 from a school for the deaf to a school for the mentally
defective; 3 from schools for the partially blind to schools for the mentally defective;
1 from a school for the hard-of-hearing to a school for the mentally defective; 2
from schools for the mentally defective to schools for the physically defective; 1
from a school for the partially blind to a school for the blind; 1 from a school for
the mentally defective to a school for the partially blind; 1 from a school for the
physically defective to a school for the partially blind; 10 from schools for the blind
to schools for the partially blind; 3 from schools for the mentally defective to schools
for the deaf; 7 from schools for the hard of hearing to schools for the deaf; 2 from
schools for the mentally defective to schools for the hard-of-hearing; 1 from a
school for the physically defective to a school for the hard-of-hearing; 4 from
schools for the deaf to schools for the hard-of-hearing; 1 from a school for the
partially blind to Swanley; 1 from a school for the mentally defective to an open-air
school; 6 from schools for the physically defective to open-air schools; 75 were
excluded as imbecile; and 41 were invalided on medical grounds. In certain
other cases advice was given with regard to boarded-out children, and one girl
from an industrial school was found to be in an unsatisfactory condition of
health and was re-admitted to Ponton Road Place of Detention for observation.
She was suffering from acute chorea and later had to be dealt with under the Lunacy
Acts.
The following statement shows the nature of the conditions found among the children certified as suitable for admission to physically defective schools at the admission examinations during the year:—
| Morbid condition. | Boys. | Girls. | Total, | Morbid condition. | Boys. | Girls. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infantile paralysis | 55 | 53 | 108 | Non tuberculosis arthritis | 12 | 6 | 18 |
| Cerebral paralysis | 12 | 5 | 17 | ||||
| Various paralyses | 23 | 14 | 37 | Rheumatism, chorea, etc. | 36 | 37 | 73 |
| Tuberculosis of bones and joints | 112 | 91 | 203 | ||||
| Heart disease— | |||||||
| Osteomyelitis | 11 | 6 | 17 | Congenital | 27 | 17 | 44 |
| Rickets and resulting deformities | 13 | 10 | 23 | Acquired valvular | 140 | 194 | 334 |
| Acquired non-valvular | 15 | 29 | 44 | ||||
| Congenital deformities | 30 | 25 | 55 | Other diseases chiefly medical | 35 | 27 | 62 |
| Traumata and amputations | 25 | 13 | 38 | ||||
| 546 | 527 | 1,073 |
Children
admitted
to P.D.
schools.
There were also 562 cases returned on improvement to elementary schools or,
when over 14 years of age, excluded as no longer certifiable; the details are as
follows:—
R = Re turned on improvement to elementary schools.
E =Over 14 years of age, excluded as no longer certifiable.
Special Schools—Physically defective, R. 155, E. 164; mentally defective,
R. 27, E. 120 ; blind, R. 0, E. 3; deaf, R. 5, E. 6; myope and partially blind,
R. 5, E. 48 ; hard of hearing, R. 18, E. 11. Total, R. 210, E. 352.
The following table shows the number of children who improved to such an Decertificaextent
that they were able to return from the special (P.D.) schools to the ordinary tion of P.D.
elementary schools or are " no longer certifiable " as defective between the ages of Children14
and 16 years.
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