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 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Referral rates in 1952 were generally lower in all age groups except leavers and
markedly so among nursery children and entrants.
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 previous years:
| 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Numbers examined | 160,071 | 169,742 | 170,880 | 183,770 |
| Skin diseases | 1.22 | 0.97 | 1.13 | 1.14 |
| External eye diseases | 0.58 | 0.57 | 0.71 | 0.72 |
| Defective hearing | 0.41 | 0.44 | 0.51 | 0.58 |
| Otitis media | 0.75 | 0.69 | 0.87 | 0.94 |
| Enlarged tonsils and adenoids | 8.91 | 8.98 | 8.44 | 8.26 |
| Defective speech | 0.62 | 0.60 | 0.63 | 0.72 |
| Enlarged cervical glands | 1.33 | 1.38 | 1.67 | 1.71 |
| Heart and circulation | 0.68 | 0.69 | 0.80 | 0.78 |
| Lung disease (not T.B.) | 1.44 | 1.62 | 1.95 | 1.83 |
| Orthopædic defects | 4.66 | 4.84 | 4.52 | 4.83 |
| Defects of nervous system | 0.34 | 0.33 | 0.31 | 0.41 |
| Psychological defects | 0.75 | 0.70 | 0.72 | 0.81 |
| Anæmia | 0.31 | 0.36 | 0.33 | 0.34 |
*Excluding special schools and training colleges.
Increased incidence in nursery, entrant and seven year old girls was mainly responsible
for higher rates for otitis media. Higher rates for defective hearing were found in entrants
and 11 year olds. For speech defects, rates were higher in nursery and eleven year old
groups of both sexes, and in girl entrants. An increase in orthopaedic defects was noted
in all age groups except nursery children and entrant girls. Eleven year old boys and
entrants account for the rise in nervous defects, and for psychological defects higher
rates were found in nursery and 11 year old groups, and in entrant and seven year old
boys.
Cleanliness
Improvement in personal hygiene is shown by the percentage of verminous children found at nurses' rota visits:
| Total No. of inspections | Rota visits No. found to be verminous | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage found to be verminous | ||||||
| Boys | 442,336 | 4,919 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.1 |
| Girls | 466,431 | 17,424 | 61 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 3.7 |
| Infants | 530,617 | 9,562 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 1.8 |
| Total | 1,439,384 | 31,905 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 2.2 |
During the year the number of individual children found to be verminous at these
inspections as distinct from the number of occasions on which vermin was found (in
which one child might appear more than once) was 17,051 (18,503 in 1951, 22,159 in
1950, and 22,063 in 1949). The total of advice cards issued during the year was 20,259
compared with 25,177 in 1951. Children who attended the cleansing centre after the
issue of advice cards numbered 14,531 (16,938 in 1951); the number of statutory notices
served was 2,788 (3,848); 1,007 (1,084) of the children concerned attended voluntarily,
and 1.667 (2.089) were cleansed compulsorily.
Vaccination
The upward trend in the proportion of pupils vaccinated against smallpox noted in
the post-war years although interrupted in 1951 was resumed in 1952. Vaccinated pupils
formed 57.6 per cent. of those inspected in 1952, 55.8 per cent. in 1951, 56.5 per cent.
in 1950, and 54.9 per cent. in 1949.
The percentages of children inspected found to have a visual acuity standard of Vision
6/6 (Snellen) are contained in the following table: