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 1930
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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The following table relative to children attending special (M.D.) schools shows their distribution according to the metropolitan boroughs in which they reside:—
| Borough. | Boys. | Girls. | Borough. | Boys. | Girls. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paddington | 66 | 44 | Shoreditch | 102 | 105 |
| Kensington | 78 | 73 | Bethnal Green | 116 | 92 |
| Hammersmith | 102 | 72 | Stepney | 160 | 133 |
| Fulham | 95 | 52 | Poplar | 161 | 137 |
| Chelsea | 27 | 12 | |||
| Westminster, City of | 25 | 21 | South wark | 156 | 122 |
| Bermondsey | 120 | 68 | |||
| St. Marylebone | 32 | 36 | Lambeth | 126 | 87 |
| Hampstead | 20 | 11 | Battersea | 148 | 106 |
| St. Pancras | 152 | 104 | Wandsworth | 156 | 86 |
| Islington | 244 | 186 | Camberwell | 130 | 101 |
| Stoke Newington | 24 | 14 | Deptford | 80 | 47 |
| Hackney | 94 | 80 | Greenwich | 64 | 56 |
| Lewisham | 92 | 60 | |||
| Holborn | 10 | 8 | Woolwich | 86 | 72 |
| Finsbury | 84 | 57 | Total | 2,754 | 2,042 |
| City of London | 4 | - | |||
An analysis has also been made of the types of the majority of the children dealt
with during the year under the provisions of the Mental Deficiency Acts, in some
cases directly after the original examination and in others after a period in a
special school. Most of those deemed feeble-minded had remained under education
in special schools until the age of 16, when their names had been notified with a view
to statutory supervision, guardianship or institutional care. As a contrast the
second half of the table shows the number found in institutions transferred under
the Local Government Act, where inquiries had been completed before the end of
the year.
Juvenile Cases.
| Clinical type of defect. | Routine cases. | Cases in institutions transferred under the Local Government Act. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idiot. | Imbecile. | Feebleminded. | Total. | Idiot. | Imbecile. | Feebleminded. | Total. | |
| Simple primary amentia | 8 | 92 | 527 | 627 | 1 | 112 | 200 | 313 |
| Mongolism | 2 | 39 | 1 | 42 | 1 | 18 | — | 19 |
| Cretinism | — | 4 | 3 | 7 | — | 3 | — | 3 |
| Hydrocephaly | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 10 |
| Microcephaly | 4 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 5 | — | 7 |
| Post-encephalitis | — | 3 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 4 | — | 5 |
| Plegia | 5 | 21 | 19 | 45 | 8 | 36 | 10 | 54 |
| Plegia and epilepsy | — | 5 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 1 | 28 |
| Epilepsy | 3 | 12 | 14 | 29 | 18 | 59 | 16 | 93 |
| Traumata | — | 3 | — | 3 | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Miscellaneous | 1 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Total | 23 | 189 | 581 | 793 | 43 | 266 | 230 | 539 |
Of the cases passed for admission to special (M.D.) schools, the type of defect found was as follows:—
| Clinical type of defect. | Boys. | Girls. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple primary amentia | 562 | 445 | 1,007 |
| Mongolism | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Cretinism | — | 1 | 1 |
| Hydrocephaly | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Microcephaly | 2 | — | 2 |
| Post-encephalitis | 3* | 2 | 5 |
| Plegia | — | 3 | 3 |
| Epilepsy | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| Paresis | — | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 576 | 462 | 1,038 |
* One of these is probably neuro-syphilitic.