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

View report page

Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London

London County Council 1957

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

This page requires JavaScript

Table: Pupils referred for treatment (Referrals for infestation and teeth are not included)

Pupils referred for treatment (Referrals for infestation and teeth are not included)

Age group and sex195519561957
Percentages
NurseryBoys11.110.98.6
Girls8.48.28.5
EntrantsBoys12.411.510.7
Girls10.59.79.3
7 years oldBoys15.315.315.0
Girls14.114.014.2
11 years oldBoys14.013.713.1
Girls14.614.214.9
LeaversBoys11.610.411.6
Girls14.913.412.6
Other agesBoys15.414.415.7
Girls17.715.717.0
All pupils*13.712.912.9

Text

Copy text to clipboard

* Exclusive of special schools and annual surveys in secondary schools.

Table: The principal defects noted, and referred for treatment or observation, expressed as percentages, were as follows :

The principal defects noted, and referred for treatment or observation, expressed as percentages, were as follows :

195519561957
Percentages
Skin diseases1.351.101.16
External eye diseases0.580.570.55
Defective hearing0.590.600.64
Otitis media0.660.660.60
Enlarged tonsils and adenoids5.975.884.84
Defective speech0.750.770.80
Enlarged cervical glands1.301.220.97
Heart and circulation0.790.740.75
Lung disease (not T.B.)1.411.351.32
Orthopaedic defects4.824.414.06
Defects of nervous system0.390.340.41
Psychological defects0.970.940.86
Anaemia0.140.130.11
Enuresis1.571.621.54

Text

Copy text to clipboard

Compared with 1956, lower rates were shown for tonsils and adenoids for all groups
except girls in the nursery group, for cervical glands for all groups except seven-year-old
boys and for orthopaedic defects for all except boys in the leavers and ' other ages'
groups and seven-year-old girls. For all other defects, the variation in the figures was
minimal.
Tonsillectomy
The results in this, the second year of the enquiry conducted at the request of the
Ministry of Education, were much the same as in the previous year, with 19.2 per cent.
of the children inspected having undergone tonsillectomy, the rate rising from 3.9 per
cent. in the nursery group to 27.9 per cent. in the leavers' group, and with rather more
boys than girls having had the operation in all age groups except leavers. Again the
greatest number of tonsillectomy operations was shown to have been performed on
children aged between 5 and 11 years.