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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65
In the secondary schools there are more cases than in the elementary schools
of postural defects, especially in girls, such as curvature of the spine. Such postural
defect of the spine was noted in 1.4 percent, of boys at 12 and 1.6 per cent, at 15,
but in girls the amount recorded of this defect was much greater, viz., 8.8 per cent,
at 12 and 8.9 at 15.
Attention must be called again to the increase between ages 12 and 15 in
institutions of higher education, of defect of vision and dental caries.
Re-
inspection
The re-inspection of 4,167 pupils in higher education institutions was carried out;
1,889 defects had been satisfactorily treated, 586 were under treatment, 999 had
had treatment but needed further treatment, and in 659 cases no treatment had been
obtained.
Training
colleges
Of the 866 students examined in training colleges, 3 were found to be suffering
from extensive dental caries; 86.5 per cent of the men and 79.0 of the women
passed the vision test, but 27.2 per cent, of the men and 37.8 per cent, of the women
were wearing glasses. While none of the men was classified as below normal in nutrition,
no less than 8.5 per cent, of the women were placed in the subnormal class.
| Hospital school | Classification | Nominal accommodation | Number of children | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In hospital 31-12-38* | On school roll at end of winter term* | |||
* The above dates are not identical.
Of the 2,655 children who were in-patients at the hospital schools at the end of
the year, 630 were suffering from tuberculosis.
Special inquiries and reports
Abstracts of special inquiries and reports will be found in their appropriate
sections. Attention may be directed to the reports by Dr. E. M. McYail on the
causation of blindness (p. 56); by Dr. C. E. Thornton on rheumatism (p. 28); and
by Dr. Elizabeth Gourlay on nutrition (p. 18). The following report has been
prepared under the direction of Dr. Thomas on the incidence of plantar warts:—
Plantar
warts
During the past five or six years there have been many enquiries and complaints in connection
with the occurrence of plantar warts in school children. These complaints are by no means
confined to elementary schools but have been numerous also in secondary schools.