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

Ilford 1913

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]

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83
masses, there would indeed be a lessened prevalence of defective
eyseight, were this decrease not largely discounted by
the universal literary education of the present day, with its
strain on the young eye.
PRESCRIPTIONS OF SPECTACLES.
298 children (131 boys and 167 girls) have been
examined. Of these, 24 boys and 28 girls were found not
to require glasses.

Table: The defects found in the remaining children may be classified, roughly, as follows :—

The defects found in the remaining children may be classified, roughly, as follows :—

Boys.Girls.
Hypermetropia3344
Hypermetropic Astigmatism2742
Mixed Astigmatism913
Myopic Astigmatism2227
Myopia1613
107139

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It is interesting to notice how much more common myopia
or short-sight is in boys than in girls. Most of the cases of
hypermetropia, recorded above, were slight, but in all cases
were giving rise to definite eye-strain or else definite defect
of vision. The greater number of girls presented for
examination than of boys is explained in several ways. Girls
are found to complain of eye-strain more readily than boys.
This may perhaps be due to the greater strain on the constitution
at the onset of puberty in the girl. Again, there is
a feeling that the wearing of glasses may be prejudicial to a
boy's welfare in his occupation, and there is often much
difficulty in persuading a boy's parents to submit him for
examination.
The majority of cases examined had been diagnosed at
the routine medical inspection and referred to the School