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

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London County Council 1934

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

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55
Mental Deficiency Acts, 1913-27.
On 31st December, 1934, there were being dealt with by the Council 9,945 cases.
Of these 6,355 were in institutions, 214 under guardianship, 3,359 under supervision
and 17 in places of safety awaiting action.
Cases dealt
with by the
Council.

During the year 1,003 cases were examined with the following results :—

SexSource of notification.Feeble mindedImbecileIdiotMorally-defectiveNot defectiveTotal
ChildrenAdultsChildrenAdultsChildrenAdultsChildrenAdultsChildrenAdultsChildrenAdults
Mental hospitals department, etc.3431826834812848
Special school leavers227227
MalePublic assistance316182110734
Casual wards9—_3234
General hospitals5531123119
Sections 8 & 9 of M.D. Acts1548131651
Mental hospitals department, etc.275055581369362
Special school leavers1082170
FemalePublic assistance3251819542
Casual wards
General hospitals516321541323
Sections 8 & 9 of M.D. Acts51726525
492210146321951881675328
Total70217824991,003

During the year, nine visits were paid to casual wards. The total number
of cases inspected was 132. Of these 34 were examined in detail, and the number
deemed to be feeble-minded was 2.
Casual wards.
During the year 1934 assistant medical officers visited occupation centres on
19 sessions and in the course of these visits made complete examinations of 72
children between the ages of 8 and 16 years. During the same period school nurses
visited centres on 74 other occasions for the purpose of carrying out personal hygiene
examinations.
Medical
inspection
of children at
occupation
centres.
The following defects which required treatment or observation were reported :
teeth, 28 ; nose and throat, 3 ; eye disease, including squint, 10 ; ear disease, 1 ;
other defects, 14.
The parents have been given facilities for obtaining treatment for these defects
under the Council's scheme for the treatment of school children.
Twenty-two cases previously noted for treatment have been re-inspected during
the year and it is reported that seven children have received satisfactory treatment;
three cases were reported to have cleared up naturally ; two cases were referred for
observation; and the remaining 10 cases have received no treatment.
The parents of two-thirds of the children inspected were present at the time of
the medical examinations. There appears to have been no undue amount of disease
or defect among the children examined, and in clothing, footgear, nutrition, cleanliness
of skin and head they were again up to the standard of elementary school children.