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
Croydon 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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219
SECTION X.
ORTHOPAEDIC DEPARTMENT.
Cases relerred for Orthopaedic treatment from the Tuberculosis
and other branches of the Public Health Department's work, are
seen and treated by Mr. A. Todd at the Croydon General Hospital
every Thursday. The arrangement is based financially on payment
to the Hospital, per attendance. The cases are referred to the
Mayday Hospital, and various well-known Orthopaedic institutions
for in-patient treatment.
In addition to the Clinic at the General Hospital, concerning
which the tables below relate to only, there are remedial exercises
clinics conducted under the School Medical Scheme (referred to in
the school report ) and a massage clinic for children under five years,
referred bv medical officers at the Welfare Centres.
Table CXVIII.
Summary of Cases Attending the Orthopcedic Clinic.
| Jnn.lst, 1931. | New Cases. 1931. | Cases Discharged, 1931. | Cases on books, Dec. 31st, 1931. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M.C.w. | S.M.s. | Tuberc. | m.c.w. | S.m.S | Tuberc | M.C.W | S.M.S. | Tuberc. | M.C.W. | S.M.S. | Tuberc. |
| 109 | 388 | 42 | 140 | 191 | 31 | 103 | 226 | 14 | 146 | 253 | 59 |
| 439 | 362 | 343 | 458 | ||||||||
The Clinic continues to expand steadily. On January 1st,
1998, there were '2'29 cases on the books, by January 1st, 1930, this
figurehad risen to 387 ; on January 1st, 1931, the figure was 439,
and on January 1st, 1932, 458 ; 343 cases were discharged as compared
with 287 in 1930, and there were 362 new cases compared
with 339 in the latter year.
The primary aim of the Orthopaedic Scheme is preventive.
Many physical defects are easily remedied if taken early and treated
skilfully. Unfortunately much of the work is still largely compensatory
and ameliorative. This is due to parents and others not
appreciating tfce true significance of an apparently minor deviation
from the normal mechanical efficiency.
Cases of bone, joint and abdominal Tuberculosis in childhood
are steadily declining and the number of new cases attributed to
Tuberculosis declined from -51 in 1929 to 42 in 1930, and 31 in 1931.