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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| Status. | Number examined. | Number fit. | Number rejected. | Number who withdrew after being referred for remediable defects or were not due for re-examination until 1930. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male. | Female. | Male. | Female | Male. | Female. | Male. | Female. | |
| Permanent service | 298 | 418 | 280 | 405 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 4 |
| Teaching awards | 241 | 777 | 213 | 715 | 3 | 19 | 25 | 43 |
| Scholarships— | ||||||||
| Myopes | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | — |
| Others | 2,882 | 2,774 | 2,822 | 2,736 | 25 | 10 | 35 | 28 |
| Total | *3,425 | *3,975 | 3,319 | 3,862 | 33 | 38 | 73 | 75 |
| 7,400 | 7,181 | 71 | 148 | |||||
* Including 8 permanent service cases (6 M., 2 F.), 46 teaching awards (5 M., 41 F.), and 4 scholarships
(1 M., 3 F.) referred from 1928.
The causes of rejection were mainly defects of vision, unsatisfactory general
health, and morbid conditions of the heart.
The total number of examinations was 8,682. Some of the candidates were
referred for one or more remediable defects.
Cases
specially
referred.
There are also referred to the public health department special cases, in which
medical advice is required. Particulars in regard to these cases are set out in the
Annual Report for 1925.
The number of examinations made was 3,606, including 3,243 teachers, of whom
585 were men and 2,658 women. In connection with sick leave 1,983, or 66 per
cent. of the teachers, were over 40 years of age; an increase of 2 per cent. over the
previous year
Health of
teachers.
A record has been kept for the years 1925-1929 of all deaths and premature
retirements for ill-health occurring among the teaching staff. These records have
been specially examined by Dr. Fairfield. The annual average numbers of the teaching
staff during these years were 6,397 men and 13,832 women, giving a total of 20,229.
Deaths.
Causes of death and age at death of teachers :—
| Disease. | Age. | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-30 | 30-40 | 40-50 | 50-54 | 55- | Total. | |||||||
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | |
| Respiratory system:— | ||||||||||||
| (a) Tuberculous | 6 | 2 | 6 | — | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 17 | 8 |
| (6) Non-tuberculous | 2 | — | — | 3 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 23 |
| Influenza | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 4 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 14 |
| Organic disease of the nervous system | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| Gastro-intestinal diseases | — | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 13 |
| Circulatory diseases | — | 1 | 2 | — | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 28 | 24 |
| Septicaemia | — | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Cancer | — | — | 2 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 13 | 20 | 38 |
| Accidents | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 12 |
| Kidney | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| *Miscellaneous | — | 3 | 2 | 4 | — | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 18 |
| Cause unknown | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | — |
| Total | 14 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 35 | 51 | 23 | 44 | 40 | 40 | 131 | 169 |
| Yearly average | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 26.2 | 34.0 |
* Diabetes, lymphatic leukæmia, goitre, acute rheumatism, child birth—3 each.
Enteric fever and osteomyelitis—2 each.
Fibroid uteri, pemphigus, diphtheria, Addison's disease, tuberculous kidney—1 each.
There were eighteen deaths among teachers over 60 years of age, but these have not been included in the table.