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
Woolwich 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]
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106
The percentage of cases showing nervous symptoms in different districts therefore varies
as follows (Tables II. and V.):—
Table VI.
| District. | Percentage of Total Cases Showing Symptoms. |
|---|---|
| Town Hall | 50 |
| Eltham | 44 |
| Plum stead | 47 |
| New Eltham | 53 |
| The Borough | 47 |
Examining further the symptoms in their order of frequency in different districts, 1,
2 and 3 in the following Table represent respectively the most frequent symptoms (in that order)
seen in each case:—
Table VII.
| District. | Acidosis Syndrome. | Mismanagement. | Sleep difficulties. | Fright : Temper Complex | Enuresis. | Backwardness. | "Misery" Complex. | Thumb sucking. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town Hall | 3—4 | 1 | 3—4 | - | - | 2 | - | - |
| Eltham | 2—3 | — | — | 1 | - | 2—3 | - | - |
| Plum stead | 1 | — | — | 3 | - | 2 | - | - |
| New Eltham | - | — | — | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
Observing next the frequency of symptoms according to type of family :—
Table VIII.
| Only Children: | Big Interval Children | Replacement Cases. | Others. | Totals. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 3 | Over 3 | |||||
| Fright—temper complex | 26 | 12 | 22 | 14 | 55 | 129 |
| Backwardness (speech, habits, etc.) | 28 | 6 | 17 | 18 | 52 | 121 |
| Acidosis syndrome | 19 | 27 | 16 | 25 | 29 | 116 |
| Enuresis | 16 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 26 | 70 |
| Frank mismanagement | 17 | 11 | 16 | 9 | 12 | 65 |
| Sleep difficulties | 14 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 52 |
| Thumb-sucking | 7 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 19 | 47 |
| Misery complex | 1 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 7 | 31 |
| Over-dependence: mother anxiety . . | 10 | 8 | 5 | — | 4 | 27 |
| Stammering, stuttering | 3 | — | 2 | 3 | 5 | 13 |
| Still on breast, bottle, dummy | 3 | — | 1 | 1 | 5 | 10 |
| Bad habits | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 6 |
| 145 | 88 | 99 | 125 | 230 | 687 | |
From these Tables it is evident that "nervousness,” as indicated by fright, shyness,
temper on examination, minor retardation (backwardness) and the acidosis (no appetite, constipation,
vomiting, etc.) syndrome, are the commonest types of nervous symptoms found, but
that special variations are found in relation to the circumstances in which the child is placed
in the family. Taking the only child separately, for example, it is found that backwardness
and nervousness are more evident than the other symptoms in the only child below the age
of 3 years ; after that age the reactions grouped somewhat loosely as " acidosis " become the
more striking. In the child separated by an interval of more than 4 years from the preceding