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
Erith 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Erith]
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52
were not submitted to routine inspection, but were examined
for the purpose of saying whether they were fit or
unfit to attend school.
(3) The Number of Children Inspected.
| No. of Inspections. | Age at Inspection. | Boys. | Girls. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | " Entrants" 4—6 years | 404 | 329 | 733 |
| 2nd | 8 years | 277 | 310 | 587 |
| 3rd | 11 years | 284 | 297 | 581 |
| 4th | " Leavers " 14 years. | 202 | 187 | 389 |
| Totals | 1167 | 1123 | 2290 |
(4) Directions for Treatment were given in respect of 729 Children, viz., 361 Boys and 368 Girls.
| Recommended for Treatment. | Entrants. | Age 8. | Age 11. | Leavers. | Totals. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B'ys | G'ls | Ttl. | B'ys | G'ls | Ttl. | B'ys | G'ls | Ttl. | B'ys | G'ls | Ttl. | B'ys | G'ls | Ttl. | |
| 107 | 100 | 207 | 110 | 114 | 224 | 93 | 94 | 187 | 51 | 60 | 111 | 361 | 368 | 729 | |
| Defective Teeth | 96 | 88 | 184 | 62 | 76 | 138 | 65 | 41 | 106 | 15 | 29 | 44 | 238 | 234 | 472 |
| Defective Sight* | 2 | 4 | 6 | 40 | 32 | 72 | 30 | 37 | 67 | 21 | 23 | 44 | 93 | 96 | 189 |
| Enlarged Tonsils | 3 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 28 | 30 | 58 |
| Adenoids | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 27 |
| Tonsils and Adenoids | 5 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 23 | 22 | 45 |
| Ear disease | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Other defects | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total number of defects | 111 | 104 | 215 | 123 | 132 | 255 | 111 | 97 | 208 | 54 | 66 | 120 | 399 | 399 | 798 |
"This includes cases where directions were given for treatment
of some external eye disease.
There were a certain number of children in whose
cases more than one defect required treatment.
Thirty-four children (10 boys and 24 girls) were excluded
owing to pediculi in the head, six (3 boys and 3
girls) owing to pediculi on body, four (3 boys and 1 girl)
owing to ringworm, and five (2 boys and 3 girls) for impetigo.
One child at the time of inspection was found
to have a rash which proved to be due to Scarlet Fever,
and was excluded.