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
Dagenham 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Dagenham]
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Visual Defects
Vision tests were carried out on all children at the school medical inspections;
231 were referred for treatment at the Ophthalmic Clinics and III kept under observation.
Eye Diseases, Defective Vision and Squint
| Category | No. of cases dealt with | |
|---|---|---|
| By the authority | Otherwise | |
| External and other (excluding errors of refraction and squint) | 331 | 3 |
| Errors of refraction (including squint) | — | 1,739 |
| No. of pupils for whom spectacles were prescribed | — | 610 |
Colour Vision
Colour vision testing was continued at all school medical inspections on all pupils at or over the age of II years and the following table shows the number of defects found:—
| Intermediate periodic medical inspection | School leaving inspection | |
|---|---|---|
| Tested for colour vision | 1,477 | 1,849 |
| Found to have defect of colour vision | 14 | 36 |
Enuresis
Children suffering from enuresis are referred to Dr. Hinden at Whipps Cross
Hospital. Enuresis buzzer alarms are loaned from this Department to those cases for
whom they are recommended by Dr. Hinden. A school nurse takes the apparatus to
the child's home and instructs the parent how it should be used. She then visits the
home periodically while the apparatus is in use to review progress. The parents are
provided with a record card which they are asked to complete each morning to record
whether the child has been wet or dry during the night. Unfortunately not all of these
records are completed throughout the course of the treatment. The results obtained in
the children who have received this treatment so far are as follows:—
Became dry every night: 9
Became dry most nights: 4
No change 0
Incomplete record 5
The average duration of treatment has been 3.9 months. Survey of the records
shows that the maximum effect of the treatment is nearly always obtained by the end
of the first month. It is therefore felt that some reduction could be made in the length
of treatment in many cases.
This service is greatly appreciated both by the children concerned and their parents.
Infectious Diseases
That there was no outbreak of infectious diseases disclosed amongst school children
during the year calls for special mention.
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