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 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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56
Among those of better intelligence a higher percentage of children were up to age in reading
than in calculation while at the other end of the scale the arithmetical ability was superior to
the reading ability.
Forty-four children were deemed certifiable as mentally deficient.
Sickness.
There were 554 cases of sickness or minor ailments during the year, of which 210 were cases
of skin disease of a trivial nature. It was found necessary to send 33 cases to hospital. There
were also 8 cases of illness among members of the established staff.
A small outbreak of scarlet fever occurred during the months of October, November and
December. The willing co-operation of the superintendent and staff has greatly facilitated the
medical work and the keeping of records.
Examination of employees in the education service and scholars.
The following table indicates the numbers submitted for each grade and the results of the examinations:—
| Status. | Number examined. | Number fit. | Number rejected. | Number who withdrew after being referred for remediable defects or were not due for reexamination until 1933. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | |
| Permanent service | 406 | 397 | 388 | 390 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 4 |
| Teaching awards | 258 | 607 | 238 | 577 | 2 | 10 | 18 | 20 |
| Scholarships— | ||||||||
| Myopes | 5 | 7 | 5 | 7 | — | — | _ | _ |
| Others | 3,316 | 3,034 | 3,205 | 2,978 | 20 | 3 | 91 | 53 |
| 3,985 | 4,045 | 3,836 | 3,952 | 29 | 16 | 120 | 77 | |
| Total | *8,030 | 7,788 | †45 | 197 | ||||
* Including 2 permanent service cases (male), 17 teaching awards (6 male, 11 female)
and 7 scholarships (5 male, 2 female) referred from 1931.
†The causes of rejection were mainly defects of vision, unsatisfactory general health and
morbid conditions of the heart.
In addition to the above, 160 examinations were made of scholars (54 male,
106 female) with a view to determining their fitness to continue to hold awards,
and of these 14 (6 male, 8 female) were found to be unfit.
Re-examinations were made of 1,973 entrants, scholars, etc., who were referred
at the first examination for treatment for one or more remediable defects.
Cases
specially
referred.
There were also referred to the public health department, 3,581 special cases in
which medical advice was required. This figure includes 2,945 teachers (589 men,
2,356 women) and 636 cases of employees (147 men, 489 women) including those in
institutions transferred to the Council under the Local Government Act, 1929.
In regard to recommendations governing sick leave to teachers, 1,920 or 70 per
cent, of the teachers concerned were over 40 years of age; this shows an increase of
2 per cent, on that of the previous year.
In connection with these cases 43 home visits were paid during the vear.
Teachers of
physical
education.
During the year 297 applicants for admission to the Council's courses of physical
education were examined. Of these 18 were deemed to be either temporarily or permanently
unfit to undergo the training on the following grounds:—
Poor general condition 5 Myopia 1
Varicose veins 5 Adenoma 1
Hernia 2 Recent appendicectomy 1
Rheumatism 2 Recent injury 1