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113
County Borough of Croydon
ANNUAL REPORT
of the
SCHOOL MEDICAL OFFICER
For the Year ending December 31st, 1952.
To the Chairman and Members of the Education Committee.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present for your consideration the
Annual Report of the School Medical Officer for the year ending
December 31st, 1952.
The work of the Department has continued without major
changes. Owing to resignations of Medical Officers and the
inevitable intervals before new members of staff commence duty,
there was a fall, in comparison with last year, of the numbers of
children seen at routine school medical inspections. It will be
remembered, however, that in addition to the three statutory
examinations, in Croydon a fourth medical inspection covers,
roughly, the period of change from infant to junior departments.
Despite the general availability of the general practitioner medical
service since 1948, I am still satisfied that properly conducted
routine inspection sessions give opportunities for the early detection
of defects and for health education which are otherwise still
unobtainable.
Infectious diseases, prevalent mainly in primary schools were
usually mild in character. In two schools numerous cases of
Sonne Dysentery occurred and required extensive follow-up of
family contacts and the co-operation, most readily given, of family
doctors.