London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Edmonton 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Edmonton]
This page requires JavaScript
4. MEDICAL INSPECTIONS.
Although our Staff has been increased during- the; year (Dr. Mclntyre
devoting more time to the School Medical Service) it will be noted that the
number of routine medical inspections has decreased.
Most of the Officers' time is taken up in filling in gaps at the Minor
Ailments Clinics.
I am satisfied, however, that the quality of the work is improving and that
more attention is being paid to the minor defects usually associated with
school children.
It is my intention to have nutritional surveys of all the children in
elementary schools with the object of discovering marked cases of malnutrition.
At present the procedure is for children found, during the course of
routine medical inspections and at minor ailments clinics, to be suffering
from malnutrition to be referred to the Director of Education with a recommendation
for milk and/or meals for a period of six months, at the end of
which period the child is re-examined and any improvement noted.
If necessary the child is recommended for continuance in the scheme.
44
The number of children fully examined in the routine of each group during 1938 was 4,054, and these were analysed as follows:—
| Entrants | 1,061 |
| Second Age Group | 1,495 |
| Third Age Group | 1,083 |
| Total | 3,639 |
| Number of other Routine Inspections | 415 |
| Grand Total | 4,054 |
| The number of "Other Inspections" carried out during the year was practically the same as during 1 937:— | |
| Number of Special Inspections 9,123 | |
| Number of Re-Inspections 17,707 | |
| Total | 26,830 |
| Number examined | 4,054 |
| Percentage A (excellent) | 41.64 |
| ,, B (normal) | 51.63 |
| ,, C (slightly sub-normal) | 6.46 |
| D (bad) | .27 |