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 1936
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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37
Nervous disorders (including 19 cases of epilepsy and 2 of encephalitis lethargica)
accounted for 58 children. Ringworm, formerly a chief cause of prolonged absence
from school, accounted for only 2 cases, compared with 129 in 1919. Since the introduction
of X-ray treatment for ringworm, the average length of absence has steadily
declined, and consequent upon the shorter period of infectivity the danger of the
spread of the disease has likewise diminished. Tuberculosis was the cause in 39 cases.
Among other ailments, respiratory diseases, other than tuberculosis, accounted
for 37 cases, and ear disease for 19.
The total invalidity amongst girls is greater during 1936 than that amongst
boys (309 to 264). There were 4 boy cripples and 4 girl cripples. These are children
with spinal or lower limb disease who are either unable to walk or require assistance
in walking, and are returned by the attendance officers simply as " cripples."
Amongst the "other defects" are certain numbers of deaf, blind and mentally
defective children, who, after ascertainment, at the moment of taking the census
had not been placed in special schools.
Table 19.—Census of chronic invalids, November, 1936, and the four preceding years
| Ailment | Cases | Percentage of total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | |
| Rheumatism, heart disease and chorea | 550 | 608 | 320 | 232 | 153 | 31.87 | 33.40 | 36.00 | 30.9 | 26.7 |
| Nervous disorders | 65 | 95 | 59 | 61 | 58 | 3.76 | 5.20 | 6.64 | 8.1 | 10.0 |
| Tuberculosis (all forms) | 219 | 209 | 79 | 67 | 39 | 12.68 | 11.50 | 8.90 | 8.9 | 6.8 |
| Anaemia and debility | 77 | 75 | 40 | 41 | 37 | 4.46 | 4.10 | 4.53 | 5.5 | 6.4 |
| Ringworm | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0.29 | 0.22 | 0.56 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Skin complaints (excluding ringworm) | 45 | 51 | 25 | 35 | 24 | 261 | 2.80 | 2.82 | 4.7 | 4.2 |
| Eye disease | 63 | 76 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 3.65 | 4.10 | 0.91 | 1.2 | 2.1 |
| Infectious diseases | 90 | 70 | 45 | 35 | 23 | 5.22 | 3.80 | 5.07 | 4.7 | 4.0 |
| Other defects | 612 | 632 | 307 | 268 | 225 | 35.46 | 34-88 | 34-57 | 35-7 | 39-5 |
| Total | 1,726 | 1,820 | 888 | 750 | 573 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Infectious diseases in schools
Elementary schools
The numbers of cases of infectious illness reported by head teachers as occurring
among children on the rolls of the day elementary schools during 1936, compared
with similar figures reported during the preceding six years, are shown below:—
Table 20
| Year | Diphtheria | Scarlet fever | Measles and German measles | Whooping-cough | Chicken -pox | Mumps | Ophthaimia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 5,297 | 7,558 | 34,251 | 3,239 | 13,573 | 9,439 | 506 |
| 1931 | 3,202 | 5,626 | 3,811 | 9,019 | 13,598 | 5,685 | 889 |
| 1932 | 3,338 | 6,832 | 34,922 | 7,624 | 11,440 | 8,016 | 649 |
| 1933 | 4,446 | 11,357 | 14,130 | 8,373 | 10,863 | 9,591 | 427 |
| 1934 | 5,439 | 8,850 | 37,701 | 5,029 | 10,283 | 6,354 | 554 |
| 1935 | 4,337 | 5.078 | 3,079 | 7.500 | 10.146 | 12,199 | 354 |
| 1936 | 3,268 | 4,852 | 32,089 | 7,303 | 8,659 | 7,844 | 473 |
The figures for ringworm are given later in this section of the report (page 40).
A reference to the numbers of cases of scabies and impetigo and the treatment
of these diseases is made on page 35.
No case of smallpox was notified in London during the year. The last confirmed
case occurred in June, 1934.