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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70
exist and where suitable material, in the form of maps, diagrams and clear type
text-books, has been published.
A form of desk which he suggested for the prevention or limitation of stooping,
was adopted in London schools, and, with minor modifications, elsewhere.
In addition to this, Mr. Harman's work in the selection and subsequent oversight
of suitable candidates for the residential ophthalmic school at Swanley,
instituted by the Metropolitan Asylums Board and later taken over by the Council
under the Local Government Act, 1929, has been most useful in the control and
care of cases of ophthalmia and other contagious eye conditions, such as interstitial
keratitis.
Deaf
children.
During the year Mr. Wells examined 229 children with defective hearing, the
decisions regarding whom are set out on page 63. The cause of deafness in the
partially deaf, deaf and defective, and deaf, seen for the first time during the year,
was found in 31 cases to be congenital, and in 177 cases acquired, while in 21
the cause was uncertain. The congenital cases were classified as follows:—
Cause of deafness.
True hereditary deafness 6
Sporadic deaf birth17
Aphasia 8
Total 31
The acquired cases were classified as:—
Cause of deafness.
Disease of the nervous system 9
Infective conditions 10
Other infectious disease 4
Nasal obstruction 43
Ear disease 106
Injury 5
Total 177
Mr. Wells also visited the schools for the deaf and partially deaf and examined
all the children. As a result, 8 children in schools for the partially deaf and 3
children in schools for the deaf were returned to elementary schools as having
improved. Two children in schools for the deaf were found to have improved, and
being over 14 years of age were allowed to leave. The reclassification table on
page 65 gives particulars of the re-allocation of children already in attendance at
special schools.
Mental
Deficiency
Acts. Cases
notified to
the local
authority.

The following table shows the number of cases notified by the education authority under section 2 (2) of the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913, as amended by the Mental Deficiency Act, 1927, during the year 1934 (the figures in brackets being those for the previous year):—

(a) Feeble-minded—Boys.Girls.
(1) Leavers148(169)143(186)
(2) Detrimental2(3)3(3)
(3) Special circumstances2(-)2(1)
(4) Ineducable8(17)11(11)
(b) Imbecilcs55(72)43(67)
(c) Idiots7(5)4(3)
222(266)206(271)
Total428 (537)

After-careers
The chief officer of the mental hospitals department has furnished the following
return for the year 1934 on after-care of children formerly attending special schools
for the mentally defective, but whose names were not notified to the Mental Hospitals
Committee as being cases in which the Education Committee were of opinion that