Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Age | Pass | Fail | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |
It will be noticed that between 9 and 12 years the percentage of failures is approximately
constant. At 12 years and over the percentage of passes is higher than in the younger children.
This is not because the hearing of these children is better, but because they are more advanced
educationally. It will be seen also that the children of 6 years give a higher percentage of passes
than the 7 and 8 years ; this is because those in the 6 years' group who have come up from the
infants' schools are particularly bright and intelligent.
Defects
found in
failed
children.
In the Annual Report for 1935 (Vol. Ill, Part II, p. 19) graphs were given showing the
differential analysis of all ears before and after treatment. The graphs for 1936 are very similar.
Among the 45,579 children tested by the gramophone audiometer, there were 136 who gave
no better response than the 18 decibel level in the better ear and consequently appeared to be
possible cases for transfer to a partially deaf school, or cases requiring special facilities in the
ordinary school. All these were invited to County Hall and were given a complete test, with
the result that 105 were found to be suitable for ordinary school, and these should be known as
grade I children. Twenty·five were able to benefit educationally in the ordinary school with
special facilities such as favourable position in class ; these should be known as grade Ha children.
Five needed education in a partially deaf school; these should be known as grade lib children.
One child proved to be mentally defective.
Nutrition centres
The nutrition centres established in May, 1935, have continued to do excellent
work and seem thoroughly to have established themselves as an arm of the school
medical service. One essential character of life they have at least exhibited, and that
is growth. In anticipation of this the estimates for 1936·7 provided for five
additional sessions weekly to be used in case of need.
In the first instance, to secure close oversight, the centres were established at,
or as near as possible to, the divisional medical offices. These situations, while
excellent for supervision and administration, were not necessarily easy of access
or in reasonable proximity to poorer neighbourhoods. Owing to the difficulty in
securing the attendance of children from a distance, it was found desirable to
establish sub·centres in the poorer areas rather than to increase the number of
sessions at the original main centres.