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
Walthamstow 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
This page requires JavaScript
49
The after-care of the children comes under the purview of the
After-Care Committee and the Walthamstow Committee for the
Care of the Blind.
The work done at the school is detailed in previous Annual
Reports and in the following interesting report of the Consultant
Ophthalmic Surgeon, Mr. H. J. Taggart, F.R.C.S.:—
"Since the long vacation, I have visited the Blind and Myope
School once a month. This is a great improvement on the 6 Annual
Visits formerly paid, as it permits of the really necessary bi-annual,
instead of an annual, examination of each child.
"The following Table summarises the defects for which the children were in attendance at this school during 1931:—
| Boys. | Girls. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Myopia | 13 | 13 | 26 |
| High Myopic Astigmatism | 10 | 15 | 25 |
| High Hypermetropic Astigmatism | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Congenital Nystagmus | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Myopic Astigmatism and Nystagmus | 1 | — | 1 |
| Congenital Choroidal Colobomata | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Micropthalmos and Colobomata | 1 | — | 1 |
| Macula Colobomata | 1 | — | 1 |
| Double Congenital Cataracts | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Congenital Cataract and Nystagmus | — | 1 | 1 |
| Glioma—Bilateral Enucleation | — | 1 | 1 |
| „ —Right Eye Enucleated | 1 | — | 1 |
| Corneal Nebulae and Cucomata | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Corneal Opacities following Interstitial Keratitis | 1 | - | 1 |
| Bilateral Primary Optic Atrophy | 1 | — | 1 |
| Partial Optic Atrophy following Retrobulbar Neuritis | - | 1 | 1 |
| Albino | — | 1 | 1 |
| Totals | 39 | 45 | 84 |
"A number of the children have been admitted during the year
to the Western Ophthalmic Hospital under my care for operative
treatment.
"I wish again to thank the staff at the school for their co-operation
and the care which they have shown in carrying out all my
suggestions.''
During the year, your Authority approved of the attendance of
the Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon once a month instead of 1
every 2 months, as before.