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 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Percentage of children with cardiac involvement on admission during recent years has been:
| 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70.2 | 51.7 | 60.8 | 49.1 | 43.7 | 41.2 | 34.5 | 41.3 |
As heretofore the figures for chorea show a feminine predominance, but the proportion
is higher than last year and also the complication of carditis is more evident.
The condition on admission of the children admitted during 1955 was as follows:
| Boys | Girls | |
|---|---|---|
| Articular rheumatism | ||
| Number admitted | 29 | 18 |
| Percentage with: | ||
| Carditis | 44.8 | 27.8 |
| Valvular damage: | ||
| Mitral | 6.9 | 5.5 |
| Mitral and aortic | 3.5 | — |
| No cardiac involvement | 44.8 | 66.7 |
| Chorea | ||
| Number admitted | 2 | 8 |
| Percentage with: | ||
| Carditis | — | 12.5 |
| No cardiac involvement | 100.0 | 87.5 |
| Articular rheumatism and chorea | ||
| Number admitted | — | 4 |
| Percentage with: | ||
| Carditis | — | 50.0 |
| Valvular damage: | ||
| Mitral | — | 25.0 |
| No cardiac involvement | — | 25.0 |
N.B.—Two children were diagnosed ' not rheumatism
Remedial exercises classes
Special classes to correct foot defects, before they develop into permanent disabilities
are held, mainly in primary schools. The classes are taken by a class teacher who has
attended a course given by the Council's consultant on postural defects and the senior
inspectors of physical education. The general medical supervision of the classes is undertaken
by the consultant in postural defects who visits each class at least once a year.
A school medical officer in each division is responsible for selecting the children and
for their discharge on improvement.
Psychiatry
Child
guidance
The year was again a busy one at the Council's four child guidance units and the
increasing demand for their services has continued. Some increases of staff have helped
the units to undertake more treatment but waiting lists remain longer than is considered
desirable. The length of the waiting list, resulting in delays before children can be seen
or treatment undertaken, has constituted the major problem facing the medical directors.
Staff from the units have co-operated with maternity and child welfare centres
in the scheme for mental health education in the Maternity and Child Welfare service
(see page 70). In addition psychiatric guidance for parents of children under five continued
to be provided at two clinics run in conjunction with the local infant welfare
centres.
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