London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

London County Council 1932

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

This page requires JavaScript

25
Table III includes the cases of otorrhœa in children at the residential schools.
It will be seen that by deducting the number of lapsed cases from the total number of
ears treated, the percentage of cured cases arrived at is 67.4, compared with 65.6 last year.
The residential school children, housed at Andover children's homes (if over 5 years old) and
at Hornsey Rise children's homes (if under 5 years old) and treated at the after-care clinic,
Kentish Town, show the following results:—
Otorrhœa cases treated 178
„ „ cured 150
„ „ referred for mastoid operation 17
Still under treatment on 31st December, 1932 11
Residential
schools.
This shows that 84.2 per cent. of these cases were cured. Besides these otorrhoea cases,
there were 29 other children who attended for treatment, but were found to have no otorrhoea
at the time of examination. Some of them, however, required the removal of wax or operation
for the removal of tonsils and adenoids, etc.
During the summer the senior and junior girls of Stanhope-street school were tested by
means of the audiometer, and the following are the details of the examination:—
Test I.—418 children were examined, 293 satisfied the test, and 125 failed.
Test II.—Of the 125 who failed test I, 9 were absent for test II; 71 satisfied this
test, and 45 failed, i.e., 11 per cent, failed after test II.
Of the 45 children who failed after test II, 8 were absent from the clinical examination and
treatment, while 37 children were treated.
Test III.—Of the 37 children who were treated, 5 were absent for this test, 16
satisfied the test, and 16 failed, i.e., 4 per cent, only of the whole number
examined failed after treatment.
At the clinical examination of those who failed after test II, all except three showed clinical
evidence of defects which could be responsible for the loss of hearing. The clinical defects found
in these children were:—
Audiometer.
Catarrhal changes in 21 ears.
Tonsils and adenoids requiring operation in 6 children.
Scars in tympanic membrane in 3 ears.
Otorrhoea in 9 ears.
Dry perforation in tympanic membrane in 4 ears.
Defective nasal conditions in 11 children.
Wax in 6 ears.
Old mastoid operation in 1 ear.
Treatment of these children was followed by improvement sufficiently good to enable 16 to
pass test III (i.e., 50 per cent.). Five other children were improved in their hearing, but not
sufficiently to enable them to pass test III. Of the 45 children who failed to pass both tests
I and II, only 10 had any record of defective hearing on their medical record cards.
No case suitable for a hard-of-hearing class was discovered as a result of this special testing.
One case appeared in the first instance a possible transfer to a hard-of-hearing school. This
child was operated on in the Downs hospital, for mastoid disease, and treated subsequently at
the after-care clinic, Kentish Town, where the condition cleared up entirely. Her hearing in
consequence was improved sufficiently to enable her to carry on with advantage at the elementary
school.
Mr. Formby is now devoting Thursday morning in each week to audiometer testing in
schools.
The following figures give the details of the work done at the after-care clinic, Kentish
Town:—
Number of attendances of ear, nose and throat cases 6,050
„ patients treated—584, representing 644 ears.
Number of ionisation administrations 2,585
„ ultra-violet irradiations 225
„ dressings 3,224
Number of ear patients treated after mastoid operation 256 = 292 ears.
other ear patients treated 328 = 352 ears.
After-care
clinic,
Kentish
Town.

The following are particulars of new patients discharged from Downs hospital during 1932:—

Patients.Ears.
No treatment required4044
Treated at the Council's clinics—now well22
Treated at Kentish Town—now well107122
Still under treatment, Kentish Town, on 31st December, 19324955
Still under treatment at the Council's clinics on 31st December, 19321720
Referred back for further operation1012
Lost sight of since88
Total233263