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 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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54
There were also 365 cases returned, on improvement, to elementary schools, or,
when over 14 years of age, deemed to be no longer certifiable. The details are
as follow:—
Table 30
| Action taken | Special school classification | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P.D. | M.D. | Blind | Partially sighted | Deaf | Partially deaf | Total | |
| Returned, on improvement, to elementary schools | 113 | 8 | 1 | 7 | — | — | 129 |
| Over 14 years of age and excluded as no longer certifiable | 142 | 17 | — | 77 | — | — | 236 |
| Total | 255 | 25 | 1 | 84 | — | — | 365 |
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 :—
Decertifica.
tion of
physically
defective
children
Table 31
| Morbid conditions | Cases deemed no longer certifiable | Cases deemed fit to return to elementary schools | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infantile paralysis | 5 | 6 | ||
| Cerebral paralysis | — | — | ||
| Various paralyses | 3 | — | ||
| Tuberculosis of bones and joints | 11 | 10 | ||
| Osteomyelitis | 17 | 8 | ||
| Rickets and resulting deformities | — | 3 | ||
| Congenital deformities | 5 | 6 | ||
| Spinal deformities (including scoliosis) | — | — | ||
| Traumata and amputations | 4 | 7 | ||
| Non-tuberculous arthritis and synovitis | 5 | 10 | ||
| Rheumatism and chorea | 26 | 22 | ||
| Various chest conditions—fibrosis, bronchitis, asthma | 4 | — | ||
| Heart diseases— | ||||
| Congenital | 6 | 2 | ||
| Acquired valvular | with history of rheumatism | 51 | 21 | |
| without history of rheumatism | — | 1 | ||
| Non-valvular | with history of rheumatism | 2 | 5 | |
| without history of rheumatism | — | 1 | ||
| Anaemia | — | 2 | ||
| Various nervous conditions—ataxia, etc. | — | — | ||
| Other diseases—chiefly medical | 3 | 9 | ||
| Total | 142 | 113 | ||
Deaf
children
During the year Mr. Wells examined 302 children referred for special examination
owing to defective hearing, and the decisions reached are set out on page 52. An analysis
of the hearing defects and grading is given below. Grade I includes children who
can benefit educationally at an ordinary school without any form of special facility ;
grade Ha includes those children who can benefit educationally at an ordinary school,
but require special facilities such as favourable position in class, mechanical hearing
aid, etc.; grade lib includes children who need educational training in a class for
partially deaf children ; and grade III includes those children who can only benefit
by education provided in a school for the deaf.