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

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Walthamstow 1933

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]

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16
The cases done at the Isolation Hospital were virulent
Diphtheria carriers, the result being successful in each case.
In addition, 108 other children received diastolisation treatment
at the Clinic.
(f) Ear Disease and Defective Hearing.— (1) Ear Disease—
Minor defects under this heading are treated at the Minor Ailment
Clinics, the numbers treated being given in the table relating to
the work of these clinics.

Refractory or special cases are referred to the weekly Consultant Aural Clinic held on Mondays from 2—4.30 p.m. by Dr. A. R. Friel, who has again been good enough to report on the valuable work done at this clinic, as follows:—

Nature of Disease.Total.Cured.Lost Sight of.Still under Treatment.H'ptl. treatment.
Acute Suppurative Otitis Media7159183
Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media, due to—
(a) Tympanic Sepsis362961
(b) Tympanic Sepsis and Granulations191513-
(c) Tympanic Sepsis and Polypi422
(d) Tympanic Sepsis and Cholesteatoma11---
Tympanic Sepsis and Rhinitis11
Attic Disease8422
Mastoid Disease12363
External Otitis Media31301
Not diagnosed4211
Totals18714522812

The aim of the clinic is to treat those diseases, such as inflammation,
which affect the ear like any other part of the body, and
to prevent the power of hearing being lessened or destroyed by
them. The ear is well protected by nature, and serious disease
does not often begin there, but usually extends to it from some
other place.
Experience teaches us that inflammation in the ear frequently
follows inflammation in the nose. Less frequently it follows
tonsillitis. Inflammation in the nose may be part of a generalised
disease such as scarlatina or measles or may be a disease in
itself which we call a "cold in the head." In both cases the
inflammation causes the tissues inside the nose to swell, so that
it becomes blocked and the child cannot breathe through it. The
secretion cannot be blown out but stagnates in it and becomes a
breeding ground for germs. This increases the irritation, and the
swelling extends to the glandular tissue (or adenoids) behind the
nose and leads to further obstruction. The tube which leads