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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As a result of the rota examinations the following re-classifications took place:— Table 33
| Transferred from schools for | Re-classified for transfer to— | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P.D. school | M.D. school | Partially sighted school | Blind school | Deaf school | Partially deaf school | Open- air school | Epilep tic colony | Swanley eye hospital | |
| Physically defective | - | 14 | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - |
| Mentally defective | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | - |
| Partially sighted | - | 1 | - | 11 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Blind | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Deaf | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | |
| Partially deaf | - | - | 1 | - | 2 | - | - | - | - |
After trial in a special school, 91 children were excluded (28 as imbecile, 28 as
feeble-minded ineducable, 4 as "special circumstances," and 4 as feeble-minded
"detrimental," and 27 invalided on medical grounds).
The details are as follow:— Table 34
| Action taken | Special school classification | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P.D. | M.D. | Blind | Partially sighted | Deaf | Partially deaf | Total | |
| Returned, on improvement, to elementary schools | 129 | 13 | – | – | – | – | 142 |
| Over 14 years of age and excluded as no longer certifiable | 214 | 44 | – | 67 | 1 | – | 326 |
| Total | 343 | 57 | – | 67 | 1 | – | 468 |
Decertification
of
physically
defective
children.
The following table classifies the children who improved to such an extent that they were able to return from the schools for physically defective children to the ordinary elementary schools, or were "no longer certifiable " as defective between the ages of 14 and 16 years:— Table 35
| Morbid conditions | Cases deemed no longer certifiable | Cases deemed fit to return to elementary schools |
|---|---|---|
| Infantile paralysis | 24 | 5 |
| Cerebral paralysis | — | 1 |
| Various paralyses | 3 | 2 |
| Tuberculosis of bones and joints | 32 | 21 |
| Osteomyelitis | 7 | 4 |
| Rickets and resulting deformities | 7 | 14 |
| Congenital deformities | 2 | 5 |
| Scoliosis | 1 | 2 |
| Traumata and amputations | 3 | 10 |
| Non-tuberculous arthritis and synovitis | 1 | 2 |
| Rheumatism and chorea | 43 | 25 |
| Various chest conditions—fibrosis, bronchitis, asthma | 1 | 3 |
| Heart diseases— | ||
| Congenital | 9 | 7 |
| Acquired valvular | 62 | 16 |
| Non-valvular | 16 | 8 |
| Anæmia | _ | 1 |
| Various nervous conditions—ataxia, etc. | — | 1 |
| Other diseases—chiefly medical | 3 | 2 |
| Total | 214 | 129 |