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
Leyton 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Leyton]
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The number of children in the various disease groups differed but little from the corresponding figures for the year 1936; with the single exception of the group of under-nourished children in which there was a considerable increase. In 1937 some 54 undernourished children attended the school compared with 19 children in 1936. The type of physical defect, the number of children in each category and the progress recorded are shown in the following table:—
| Defect. | No. of Children. | Improved. | Stationary. | Worse. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delicate | 13 | 11 | 2 | _ |
| Bronchitis | 10 | 9 | 1 | - |
| Bronchitis and Malnutrition | 4 | 3 | 1 | — |
| Asthma | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Bronchiectasis | 4 | 3 | 1 | - |
| Quiescent Pulmonary Tuberculosis | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| Fibrosis of Lungs | 2 | 2 | — | - |
| Subnormal Nutrition | 54 | 48 | 6 | - |
| Tuberculous Adenitis | 3 | 3 | _ | - |
| Major Epilepsy | 3 | 1 | — | 2 |
| Minor Epilepsy | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Rheumatic Carditis | 16 | 13 | 3 | — |
| Chorea | 1 | 1 | _ | — |
| Congenital Heart Disease | 2 | 2 | - | - |
| Nervous Children | 2 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Severe Anaemia | 1 | 1 | _ | — |
| Goitre | 1 | 1 | _ | — |
| Haemophilia | i | 1 | — | — |
| Healed Lupus | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Ichthyosis | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Crippled Children | 20 | 17 | 3 | — |
| Totals | 146 | 124 | 18 | 4 |
Delicate and under-nourished children made really good
progress, and also children with rheumatic heart disease. Some
of these children whose hearts are permanently damaged by rheumatism
have, at the best, a short expectation of life; and in
these cases there can be no doubt that the less strenuous life of
the ope-nair school improves their health and prolongs their life.
Of the 3 children with major epilepsy, 2 became worse and
were transferred to a residential institution for epileptic children.
During the year particular attention was paid to the children's
weight. The amount of weight gained is, probably, the best single
indication of a child's response to an open-air school environment.
It is known that an elementary school child makes, on an average,
a yearly gain in we'ght of 4-5 lbs. Most of the children here