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 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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Table IV.
SUMMARY.
| Group. | *Nose and Throat Defects. | Enlarged Glands. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys. | Girls. | Boys. | Girls. | |
| Entrants | 38.1 | 34.7 | 17.2 | 14.4 |
| Intermediates | 25.1 | 26.3 | 11.8 | 9.3 |
| Leavers | 12.9 | 16.0 | 6.4 | 71 |
| Other Ages | 13.1 | 30 2 | 15.1 | 5.8 |
*Does not include mouth breathers, but includes other defects of nose and ti.roat.
Defective Hearing.
The commonest causes of deafness in children are middle ear
disease and adenoids. Routine medical inspection showed that 0.3
entrants, 0.9 intermediates and 0.3 leavers in the children examined
had defective hearing.
Speech Defects.
There are no special classes for stammerers in the Croydon
Educational Scheme. Routine medical inspection findings showed
in the Entrant group 0.7% children defective and in the Intermediate
group 0.5%.
Skin Diseases.
The findings show only the incidence in the groups examined
at a specific examination and must not be taken to indicate the
total incidence of skin disease in school children. Entrants gave
1.9 per cent. incidence in boys and 2.1 per cent. in girls; inter¬.
mediate boys 1.4 per cent. and girls 1.1 per cent.; leavers 1.5 per
cent. boys, and 1.7 per cent. girls; a total in all groups of 1.6
per cent. boys and 1.7 per cent. girls.
Deformities.
Among children examined at Routine Medical Inspection 1.3%
of the boys and 0.5% of the girls showed evidences of Rickets;
1.8% boys and 2.7% girls had some abnormal degree of spinal
curvature and 2.5% boys and 2.3% girls showed some other physical
deformity.