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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The following are particulars of the cases referred from Downs hospital in 1931, and continuing treatment into 1932:—
| Patients. | Ears. | |
|---|---|---|
| Referred back to Downs hospital for further operation | 13 | 16 |
| Treated at Kentish Town—now well | 24 | 28 |
| Lost sight of | 5 | 7 |
| Total | 42 | 51 |
In addition to the above the following are particulars of cases which were operated on in Downs hospital and discharged in 1931, but went to the Council's clinics and continued their treatment into 1932:—
| Patients. | Ears. | |
|---|---|---|
| Treated at the Council's clinics—now well | 3 | 3 |
| Still under treatment at the Council's clinics | 12 | 14 |
| Referred back to Downs hospital for further operation | 4 | 6 |
| Lost sight of | 4 | 5 |
| Total | 23 | 28 |
Teeth.
The work at the 68 dental treatment centres has continued during the year on
normal lines. No additional centres have been established although there is pressing
need for a centre for the large additional school population which has migrated to
new housing estates in the Streatham area. If suitable accommodation can be
found, steps will be taken to open a centre.
The number of sessions devoted to inspection of the children in the schools by
the 67 inspecting dental surgeons was 2,462. The number of children examined was
273,737 compared with 268,545 during the year 1931, an increase of 5,192. The
number found to require treatment was 174,809, or 63.86 per cent. compared with
64.5 per cent. in 1931. This is the smallest percentage found in the history of the
London school dental service.
The returns from the treatment centres, including children from allocated
schools dealt with at the Eastman clinic, show that during the year 134,769 children
were dealt with. This represents a reduction of 4,954 cases as compared with the
year 1931, when 139,723 cases were treated, but in addition 3,204 children from
unallocated schools were treated at the Eastman clinic.
The following table shows the growth of the Council's dental treatment scheme during the past 22 years:—
| Year. | Inspection. | Treatment. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number inspected. | Number found to require treatment. | Percentage. | Number of centres. | Number of cases treated. | |
| 1911 | No information available. | - | 3 | 5,720 | |
| 1912 | Do. | - | 7 | 9.799 | |
| 1913 | 31,858 | 25,492 | 80.0 | 18 | 20,130 |
| 1914 | 56,491 | 46,290 | 81.9 | 25 | 32,439 |
| 1915 | 69,516 | 56,864 | 81.8 | 29 | 44,875 |
| 1916 | 81,794 | 66,624 | 81.5 | 31 | 49,844 |
| 1917 | 89,962 | 71,447 | 79.4 | 36 | 56,913 |
| 1918 | 106,586 | 83,068 | 77.9 | 43 | 68,445 |
| 1919 | 144,456 | 112,227 | 77.0 | 43 | 79,216 |
| 1920 | 154,347 | 115,619 | 75.0 | 47 | 89,456 |
| 1921 | 151,395 | 111,250 | 73.5 | 48 | 94,177 |
| 1922 | 192,730 | 137,487 | 72.5 | 48 | 84,848 |
| 1923 | 236,658 | 166,454 | 70.3 | 53 | 95,332 |
| 1924 | 256,542 | 178.802 | 69.7 | 54 | 99,045 |
| 1925 | 262,482 | 182,524 | 69.5 | 56 | 112,964 |
| 1926 | 237,022 | 163,422 | 68.9 | 57 | 113,932 |
| 1927 | 224,553 | 157,537 | 70.1 | 61 | 124,992 |
| 1928 | 226,279 | 156,001 | 68.9 | 63 | 129,255 |
| 1929 | 240,040 | 163,114 | 67.9 | 64 | 129,953 |
| 1930 | 251,251 | 165,616 | 65.9 | 65 | 138,280 |
| 1931 | 268,545 | 173,180 | 64.5 | 68 | 139,723 |
| 1932 | 273,737 | 174,809 | 63.9 | 68 | 134,769 |