London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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London County Council 1938

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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models at the workshop. In certain instances removable appliances are made at the
Council's central dental laboratory, Romilly Road, Islington.
The number of new cases seen at the centres during the year was 1,114, and the
total number of attendances was 6,867. Fixed appliances were made for 677 of the
children, and removable appliances were provided for 146 children. The number
of cases in which treatment was completed and the children discharged was 198, and
103 were found to be unsuitable for treatment.
Special
aural centres
The Council maintains 15 special aural centres which are under the direction of
Mr. A. G. Wells, F.R.C.S., who is assisted by 12 assistant aurists giving part-time
services.
Excluding purely deaf children, the number of children attending for the first
time at these centres for ear treatment during the year was 1,541. Including old
cases, the number of examinations of children during the year was 14,942, and the
number of ears examined was 18,639.
In addition to the above, there were 1,830 children who attended the first time
for examination to determine the cause of hardness of hearing.

Particulars of this section of the work are given in the following table:—

Table 14— Deaf cases

ClassificationPatientsEars treated
Total number of attendances5,9578,492
New cases1,8302,489
Cases carried over from 1936271401
Old cases returned5987
Cases cured1,2111,638
Cases partially relieved129182
Cases unrelieved1625
On current file, lapsed, etc.8041,132

In addition to the above there were:—

Throat cases60
Nasal cases—New256
„ Carried over from 193737
„ Old cases returned76

After-care
clinic,
St. George's
dispensary
At the St. George's dispensary, Southwark, a special aural centre is maintained
where children from the Council's residential schools suffering from otorrhoea are
treated, and where also the after-care of children who have returned home from the
Downs hospital school after mastoid operations is carried out.
The number of "ears" dealt with in children from the residential schools was
157, and the percentage of cure 77.6. The number of children under supervision
at the centre who had been discharged from the Downs hospital was 165, including
51 children discharged in 1937. The total number of children attending, including
after-care cases, was 548, the number of attendances made was 7,929, and the number
of children discharged well was 353.
Analysis of
otorrhoea
cases from
ear, nose and
throat clinics
The subjoined table gives a detailed analysis of all cases of otorrhoea treated,
showing number of acute conditions, cause of the persistence of discharge in chronic
cases, the number cured, the number referred for operation, those lost sight of and
the numbers still under treatment on 31st December, 1938. This table includes
children suffering from otorrhoea who attended the after-care clinic.