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
East Ham 1927
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]
This page requires JavaScript
86
It will be noted that there is again a reduction in the percentage
of children suffering from verminous conditions, and great
credit is due to the School Nurses, whose untiring efforts have
been entirely responsible for ensuring this diminished incidence in
cases of uncleanliness, but there is no doubt that systematic and
practical instruction in hygiene by the teachers would tend to
eliminate completely such conditions.
(b) Minor Ailments.
Such cases, frequently recognised in the early stages, have been immediately referred to one of the School Clinics.
| Chief Minor Ailments | Discovered at Routine Medical Inspection. | Discovered by Teachers and Nurses and sent to Clinic. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | 1927 | 1926 | 1927 | |
| Scabies | 4 | 2 | 27 | 5 |
| Impetigo | 36 | 11 | 463 | 496 |
| Conjunctivitis | 12 | 5 | 87 | 52 |
| Blepharitis | 21 | 3 | 144 | 59 |
| Ear Disease | 77 | 41 | 171 | 154 |
| Ringworm (Scalp) | 2 | 2 | 36 | 48 |
| Ringworm (Body) | 3 | 1 | 61 | 31 |
(c) Tonsils and Adenoids.
3.1 per cent, of the children examined during the year were
referred for treatment for " tonsils and adenoids," either separate
or combined, as compared with 4.6 per cent. in the year 1926.
Of these, much enlarged tonsils accounted for 0.4 per cent. ; definite
adenoids were present in 0.3 per cent., and the combined defect
was diagnosed in 2.4 per cent. ; the figures for 1926 were 0.6 per
cent., 0.3 per cent., and 3.7 per cent, respectively.
The percentage of children moderately affected and requiring
to be kept under observation was 5.5, the corresponding percentage
in 1926 being 9.2. In this case 4.2 per cent, had moderately
enlarged tonsils, 0.5 per cent, exhibited signs of the presence