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 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Referral rates in 1951 were generally lower in all age groups except nursery
boys and girls.
The following table shows the percentages of the principal defects found in children of all age groups inspected at routine inspections and referred for treatment or observation, with comparable figures for 1948, 1949 and 1950:—
| *Numbers examined | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 156,304 | 160,071 | 169,742 | 170,880 | |
| Percentages | ||||
| Skin diseases | 1.22 | 1.22 | 0.97 | 1.13 |
| External eye diseases | 0.61 | 0.58 | 0.57 | 0.71 |
| Defective hearing | 0.39 | 0.41 | 0.44 | 0.51 |
| Otitis media | 0.70 | 0.75 | 0.69 | 0.87 |
| Enlarged tonsils and adenoids ... | 816 | 8.91 | 8.98 | 8.44 |
| Defective speech | 0.53 | 0.62 | 0.60 | 0.63 |
| Enlarged cervical glands | 1.01 | 1.33 | 1.38 | 1.67 |
| Heart and circulation | 0.73 | 0.68 | 0.69 | 0.80 |
| Lung disease (not T.B.) | 1.30 | 1.44 | 1.62 | 1.95 |
| Orthopædic defects | 4.67 | 4.66 | 4.84 | 4.52 |
| Defects of nervous system | 0.30 | 0.34 | 0.33 | 0.31 |
| Psychological defects | 0.72 | 0.75 | 0.70 | 0.72 |
| Anaemia | 0.29 | 0.31 | 0.36 | 0.33 |
* Excluding special schools and training colleges.
Increased incidence in nursery, entrant and 7 year old groups was mainly
responsible for higher rates for skin and external eye diseases, enlarged cervical
glands, lung disease (not T.B.) and heart disease. Higher rates for otitis media were
found in all age groups except " leavers," and defective hearing rates were higher
among nursery children of each sex and slightly higher in entrant and 7 year old
girls.
The decrease in the incidence of enlarged tonsils and adenoids was common to
all groups except nursery children. The reduced figure for orthopaedic defects was
due to lower rates for all groups of boys and for nursery and leaver girls.
Nutrition
Classification of general condition as found at routine medical inspections
| A—Good | B—Fair | C—Poor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 40.8 | 56.0 | 3.2 |
| 1949 | 41.8 | 55.1 | 3.1 |
| 1950 | 46.3 | 50.9 | 2.8 |
| 1951 | 47.6 | 49.8 | 2.6 |
The percentages of children referred for treatment or observation on account of nutrition were:—
| 1948 % | 1949 % | 1950 % | 1951 % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Referred for (1) Treatment | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| (2) Observation | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
| Total | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
Although the proportion of children classified as of "poor" general condition
has diminished gradually in the years under review, it must be remembered that this
assessment is subjective and the apparent improvement is not paralleled by a
corresponding reduction in the percentage of children referred for treatment or
observation on account of nutritional defects.
Cleanliness
Percentages of children found to have vermin in the hair at routine inspections
during 1951, with corresponding figures for 1948, 1949 and 1950, follow:—