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 1950
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]
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67
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE.
(a) Nutrition.
The summary of heights and weights over 10 years which is printed
at the end of this Report in Table VII A. and B. shows no appreciable
change.
(b) Incidence of Pediculosis and Scabies.
(i) Pediculosis.—This shows a decrease on last year. 5 children being
found to be infected with living hair vermin as against 33 in 1949, 56 in
1948, 49 in 1947 and 46 in 1946.
(ii) Scabies.—There were no cases reported during the year, as compared
with 5 in 1949, 19 in 1948, 43 in 1947 and 76 in 1946.
School Premises.—There are 32 schools, with 61 departments, 21,497
children were actually on the rolls on 21st December, 1950, as compared
with 21,123 in December, 1949.
The figure 21,497 includes Barking Abbey (374) and Ursuline County
Placed pupils (240).
The number of children in average attendance at school for the year
ended 19th December, 1950 = 18,967.
The Sanitary Inspectors have paid the usual monthly visits to the
elementary schools (1) to enquire as to the milk supplies, (2) to inspect the
sanitary arrangements. 439 visits were made during the year.
Medical Inspection.—In accordance with the Handicapped Pupils
and Medical Services Regulations, 1945 (para. 49), this is carried out as
follows:—
(a) Every pupil who is admitted for the first time to a maintained
school shall be inspected as soon as possible after the date of his
admission.
(b) Every pupil attending a maintained primary school shall be
inspected during the last year of his attendance at such a school.
(c) Every pupil attending a maintained secondary school shall be
inspected during the last year of his attendance at such a school.
During 1950 4,609 parents, or 75 per cent., attended the full routine
medical inspections.
Infectious Disease.—The following table shows the incidence of infectious diseases in the Ilford schools since 1946:—
| Scarlet Fever | Diphtheria | Measles and Ger man Measle | Chicken Pox | Mumps | Whooping Cough | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | 156 | 13 | 576 | 259 | 312 | 95 |
| 1947 | 120 | 7 | 1,056 | 122 | 27 | 332 |
| 1948 | 179 | 7 | 1,330 | 116 | 87 | 376 |
| 1949 | 262 | — | 641 | 75 | 224 | 210 |
| 1950 | 252 | 1 | *766 | 80 | 25 | 466 |
| *Of this number 753 were notified as measles. | ||||||
Disinfection of all the cloakrooms at the maintained primary and
secondary schools was carried out during the Summer and Winter vacations.
No schools were closed during the year on account of infectious
disease.
Table VI shows the incidence of infectious disease in the Ilford schools
during 1950.
33 home visits were paid by the School Nurses to cases of minor
infectious disease. In addition the Sanitary Inspectors paid 753 visits to
measles cases, and 466 visits to whooping-cough cases.