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
Ilford 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]
This page requires JavaScript
67
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE.
Nutrition.
The summary of heights and weights over 10 years which is printed at
the end of this Report in Table VIIA. and B. shows no appreciable change.
Incidence of Pediculosis and Scabies.
(i) Pediculosis.—13 children were found to be infected with living
hair vermin as against 7 in 1951, 5 in 1950 33 in 1949 and 56 in 1948.
(iii) Scabies.—There were no cases reported during the year, as compared
with 1 in 1951, none in 1950, 5 in 1949 and 19 in 1948.
School Premises.—There are 34 schools, with 63 departments, 23,403
children were actually on the roils on 18th December, 1952, as compared
with 22,543 in December, 1951.
The figure 23.403 includes Barking Abbey (383) and Ursuline County
Placed pupils (240).
The number of children in average attendance at school for the year
ended 18th December, 1952 = 20,433.
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. 817 visits have been 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 1952 5,290 parents, or 78 per cent., attended the full routine
medical inspections.
I nfectious D isease .—The following table shows the incidence of infectious diseases in the Ilford schools since 1948:—
| Scarlet Fever | Diphtheria | Measles and German Measles | Chicken Pox | Mumps | Whooping Cough | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 179 | 7 | 1,330 | 116 | 87 | 376 |
| 1949 | 262 | — | 641 | 75 | 224 | 210 |
| 1950 | 252 | 1 | 766 | 80 | 25 | 466 |
| 1951 | 202 | 1 | 1,316 | 320 | 28 | 389 |
| 1952 | 294 | — | *2,242 | 624 | 612 | 316 |
* Of this number 1,960 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 1952.