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 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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| Classification | Referred for Observation | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A—Good | B—Fair | C—Poor Treatment Percentages A | ||||
| 1953 | 53.3 | 44.3 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.9 |
| 1954 | 57.6 | 40.4 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.8 |
| 1955 | 60.4 | 38.0 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.6 |
| 1956 | 95.0 | 5.0 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.8 | |
The classification of general condition recorded at these ' nutrition ' re-inspections, with comparable figures for previous years, was as follows :
| Good | Fair | Poor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 10.5 | 65.5 | 24.0 |
| 1952 | 10.7 | 68.0 | 21.3 |
| 1953 | 12.3 | 69.4 | 18.3 |
| 1954 | 13.0 | 70.1 | 16.9 |
| 1955 | 14.5 | 70.3 | 15.2 |
| 1956 | 17.5 | 70.3 | 12.2 |
Hygiene inspections and the cleansing scheme
For the purpose of assisting at medical inspections, each school health visitor is allocated
to a group of schools, which she also visits in accordance with a rota to carry out hygiene
inspections. Each school is visited at least once a term, so that each child is seen at least
three times a year.
The hygiene inspection of all pupils is, in two terms out of three, concerned primarily
with the detection of lice or nits. As was explained in the 1953 report (pages 105-6) in
the third term of the school year a more comprehensive inspection is carried out.
The following table gives the results of the personal hygiene inspections carried out during 1956 :
| Total Number of Inspections | Pupils found to be verminous* | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Percentage | ||
| Boys | 375,144 | 2,282 | 0.6 |
| Girls | 440,320 | 7,881 | 1.8 |
| Infants | 383,636 | 5,002 | 1.3 |
| Total | 1,199,100 | 15,165 | 1.3 |
*'Verminous', in this context, has a special connotation since it includes cases with only one 'nit' (ovum) as well
as cases with live vermin present.
For pupils whose personal hygiene is unsatisfactory an 'advice' card is issued,
which gives instructions to the parents on cleansing the child at home. A second advice
card gives in addition a warning of possible statutory action, and invites voluntary
attendance at a bathing centre. If, on re-inspection, the condition is found to be unremedied,
then a statutory notice is sent to the parent. This statutory notice also invites
voluntary attendance at a bathing centre. If, on further re-inspection, the condition is
still unsatisfactory, the pupil is conveyed to a bathing centre for compulsory cleansing.
The cleansing is carried out at seven bathing centres run directly by the Council and, by
arrangement with the Metropolitan Borough Councils concerned, at 21 borough
cleansing stations. During the year two of these borough cleanings stations were closed
and arrangements were made for the pupils to attend stations in adjoining boroughs.
The following table shows the results of the operation of this 'cleansing scheme'
during 1956 :
103