London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Ilford 1957

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]

This page requires JavaScript

Further Analysis of Cases Cured.

19571956
No.%No.%
Boys Dry23462041.66 of total
Girls Dry9311356.5 of total
Average Age:Boys9.5 years6.7 years
Girls9.75 „7.5 „
Average visits until dryBoys3.54
Girls3.84

Remarks.
The General Practitioners have this year shown some increased
interest in this clinic, although over 90% are still referred from within
the Public Health Services.
The children seem to fall into one of two main groups—
(i) those who have never become dry, and
(ii) those who were all right until upset emotionally by some factor—
the birth of a baby sister or brother; starting school; or a quarrel
between the parents.
A small nucleus of older "chronics" attends the clinic, almost all are
from unhappy homes, and many attend the Child Guidance Clinic
as well. An electrical device which rings a bell when micturition
commences is being loaned to these cases, s.o far with considerable
success in one case; some success in a third, and none so far in the
present one. As all these 5 children are a residue from past years
they have not been included in the figures above.
Organic disease of the urinary tract does not seem to account
for more than a fraction of enuretic children. Three had daytime
frequency of micturition as well as enuresis, and were referred to
the paediatric clinic for investigation of this symptom. No history
suggested worms as a cause. Mostly the children need faith in their
own ability to be normal, as do their mothers very often. The
children attend the clinic and pretend to the world that they are
unconcerned but the fact that they are desperately worried is made
clear by the change in their attitude to life when they start obviously
to improve. Even one such child discharged as cured makes a
Wednesday morning session well worth while."
B.C.G. Vaccination of School Children.
No. of pupils to whom B.C.G. was offered 1,938
No. of pupils whose parents consented to treatment 1,200
No. of pupils undergoing tuberculin test 1,022
Positive; 63.
No. of pupils who received B.C.G. 889
No. of pupils post-tested 887
Converted to Positive 862
Negative 19
Absentees from readings 6