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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237
In addition the nurses assist at routine and special medical
inspections in the schools and pay periodical visits to schools for
cleanliness surveys. With the helpful co-operation of the Chief
School Attendance Officer and his staff, one or two of the persistent
offenders against cleanliness have been proceeded against
in Court, others have been brought before the Committee and
warned. Since these steps were taken, the nurses report a decided
change for the better in schools which previously gave unsatisfactory
findings. There are still, however, certain families which
consistently spoil the figures for some of the schools.
The following table summarises the visits paid, etc., in connection with these duties: —
| Visits to Schools re Cleanliness | 41 |
| Visits to School Departments re Clea-nliness | 502 |
| Number of children inspected for cleanliness (first inspection) | 65121 |
| Number of children inspected (subsequent inspections) | 4223 |
| Number of children found unclean (first inspection) | 2633 |
| Number of children found unclean (subsequent inspections) | 2395 |
| Concerning uncleanliness | 98 |
| Concerning defects found at routine medical inspections | 1741 |
| Subsequent visits re defects found at routine medical inspections | 1101 |
| Visits re special cases | 1000 |
| Visits to dental cases | 334 |
| Visits in connection with infectious cases and other visits | 12768 |
These figures show an increase of 847 in the number of children
inspected for cleanliness ; decreases of 997 in visits paid in connection
with infectious cases and other visits for miscellaneous reasons;
of 771 in the following-up visits to dental cases, and in visits to
special cases, of 474 in the visits made regarding defects found at
routine medical inspections, and of 120 in the home visits regarding
uncleanliness.