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

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Barking 1937

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barking]

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(e) Nose and Throat Defects. — The number of nose and throat defects referred for treatment at medical inspection at schools and clinics shows a small increase over the figures for 1936.

The figures for 1937 are as follows:—
Chronic Tonsillitis only527
Adenoids only11
Chronic Tonsillitis and Adenoids68
Other Nose and Throat conditions319
Total925

(f) Ear Disease and Defective Hearing.—Ear diseases of both minor and major
types still give rise to a certain amount of concern to your medical officers who are
engaged upon school medical work.
434 cases of ear disease were referred for treatment during 1937, compared with
315 cases during 1936.
With regard to defective hearing, of the children examined at routine medical
inspection 98.2 per cent. were found to have normal hearing and to be free from
any ear defects.
In future it will be possible to state accurately the degree of defective hearing
in all your school children. This will be possible by means of an Audiometer which
is being introduced.
An Audiometer is an electrical instrument for ascertaining the exact pitch
and intensity of sound that a person can hear. By such means the alleviation of
deafness can be more accurately attained and the possible elimination of some
causes of retarded mentality separated from definite mental defectiveness.
(g) Dental Defects.—Details of the findings of school dental inspections and
the work of the dental clinics will be found on pages 186 to 187 and 195 to 196, and
the report of your Senior Dental Officer, Mr. W. H. Foy, will be found on pages
169 and 170.
(h) Orthopædic and Postural Defects.—Of all the children examined at routine
medical inspection 96.7 per cent. were found to be free from orthopædic and postural
defects, and the 175 children who were found to be not quite normal were suffering
for the most part from postural defects. Of this group of 175 children, 78 only
required to be kept under observation.