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London County Council
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COUNCIL, 1935
VOL. III (Part II)
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL MEDICAL OFFICER FOR THE YEAR 1935.
By Sir Frederick Menzies, K.B.E., M.D., LL.D., F.R.C.P., F.R.S.E., County
Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer.
Staff.
The public health department is organised in three branches, (i) special hospitals
including control of the acute infectious diseases and of the ambulance and pathological
laboratory services, (ii) general hospitals and district medical work transferred
from the late London poor-law guardians ; and (iii) general public health administration,
including housing and the school medical service. A principal medical
officer is in charge of each of the three branches, viz., (i) special hospitals, etc., Dr.
J. A. H. Brincker; (ii) general hospitals and public assistance medical administration,
etc., Dr. W. Brander; and (iii) general public health administration, Dr.
W. A. Daley. With the exception of the administrative work in connection with
infectious disease in schools, which is directed by Dr. Brincker, assisted by a
principal assistant medical officer (Dr. J. G. Forbes), the work of the school medical
service falls entirely in the branch directed by Dr. Daley and is organised in two
main sections.
One of these sections, of which the senior medical officer in charge is Dr. C. J.
Thomas, embraces the medical and dental inspection of school children, the medical
and dental treatment and cleansing of school children, open-air schools and general
school hygiene. For purposes of routine medical inspection, etc., London is divided
into five divisions, north-west (divisional medical officer, Dr. R. H. Simpson) ; north
(divisional medical officer, Dr. Margaret C. Hogarth); north-east (divisional medical
officer, Dr. G. Chaikin); south-east (divisional medical officer, Dr. H. R. Kidner);
south-west (divisional medical officer, Dr. C. N. Atlee). The remaining staff in
this branch of the school medical work includes one principal assistant medical officer
for aural work (Mr. A. G. Wells) ; nine part-time assistant aurists ; one part-time
consulting dental surgeon (Mr. B. Samuel); one part-time principal assistant medical
officer (Dr. Barbara Tchaykovsky) ; one divisional medical officer for ophthalmic
work, nursery schools, etc. (Dr. Elizabeth M. McVail); *21 whole-time assistant
medical officers ; 6 assistant medical officers giving six sessions a week ; 54 assistant
medical officers giving three sessions a week ; additional temporary medical assistance
for 130 sessions a week ; 9 medical officers (part-time) at open-air schools ; 70 parttime
inspecting dental surgeons. There are 262 part-time doctors, surgeons and
anaesthetists, and 102 part-time dental surgeons engaged at the hospitals and school
treatment centres under the Council's scheme. These last appointments are made
by the authorities of the hospitals and treatment centres.
The other section concerned with the school medical service (Dr. Verner Wiley,
senior medical officer) includes the medical examination at the County Hall of
scholarship candidates, school teachers, etc., and the medical work in special and
approved Home Office schools. Dr. Wiley also deals with the work under the
Mental Deficiency Acts, the Blind Persons Act, and the medical examination of the
Council's staff. In this section for school purposes are included the services of a
part-time consulting orthopaedic surgeon (Mr. K. J. Acton Davis); a part-time
ophthalmic consultant (Mr. J. M. Bickerton) ; two divisional medical officers (Drs.
A. C. Williams and Jessie G. Duncan) and an assistant medical officer who is attached
part-time to the Council's remand home. The duties of consulting surgeon for
* Two vacancies—officers temporarily seconded for work under the Housing Acts (equivalent
substitutes authorised).
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