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 1929
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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The following are the details of the work done at the after-care clinic at Kentish Town in connection with the mastoid operation cases :—
| 1929 Cases. | Patients. | Ears. |
|---|---|---|
| Discharged from Downs Hospital requiring no further treatment | 11 | |
| Treated at L.C.C. clinic and discharged cured | 6 | 6 |
| Still having treatment at L.C.C. clinics at end of 1929 | 10 | 10 |
| Treated at Kentish Town and discharged cured | 111 | 116 |
| Still kaving treatment at Kentish Town at end of 1929 | 48 | 51 |
| Treated at Kentish Town and since lapsed | 4 | 4 |
| Referred back to Downs Hospital for further operation | 5 | 6 |
| Not yet attended since discharged from Downs Hospital | 2 | 2 |
| 194 | 206 | |
1928 Cases continuing into 1929—
| Discharged cured ... | 56 | 64 |
| Referred back to Downs Hospital for further operation | 4 | 5 |
| Discharged cured in L.C.C. clinics ............ | 2 | 2 |
| Lapsed ........................ | 6 | 7 |
| Still under treatment at end of 1929 ............ | 5 | 6 |
| 73 | 84 |
In addition to mastoid operation cases, certain cases were treated at Kentish Town which were not operated on. The details are as follows :—
| Cases not Operated on, 1929— | ||
| 1929 Cases— | ||
| Treated and discharged cured.................. | 60 | 73 |
| Still having treatment at end of 1929 ............ | 16 | 20 |
| 1928 Cases— | ||
| Treated and discharged cured in 1929 ............ | 18 | 22 |
| 94 | 115 | |
Diaetolisation
The number of cases treated by diastolisation was comparatively few, but the
opinion already formed of this method of treatment has been confirmed by the
further experience gained, and it would be well worth while to adopt it on a larger
scale. If this treatment were used sufficiently early, many morbid conditions might
be prevented from developing. Many of the defects are intimately associated with
abnormal conditions of the nasal cavities, and by treating these in the early stages
many cases of otorrhcea, adenoids, etc., would be prevented. However, to make
this worth while, a scheme of sufficient magnitude would be required.
Report of the
consulting
dental
surgeon, Dr.
Alexander
Livingston.
(e) Dental dejects.—The table on page 97 of this Annual Report shows the
statistics for the dental services to school children for the year 1929. The 64 inspecting
dental surgeons examined nearly a quarter of a million children, and of
these 67-9 per cent, were found to require treatment. This is an improvement of
1 per cent, upon the figure for 1928, which showed 68-9 per cent. The improvement
is not large, but grows with the tale of years as the Council's dental schemes
become more fully operative and matured.
As is to be expected, the regional dental healthiness varies, although the cause
of the variation is difficult to find, for districts where there is much unemployment
and where housing is bad and deficient show marked healthiness. The average
diet probably plays a most important part, for the striking similarity of the percentages
throughout the East End, with its large foreign population consuming
much oil, fats and vegetables, contrasts markedly with districts where soft, sticky
starches are more important items in feeding.
The number of new cases does not show any startling increase over the year
1928. Only one new centre was opened and this rather late in the year.