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
Walthamstow 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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18
A weekly testing session was held in the schools, and of 1,351
examined, 93 (or 6.8 per cent.) children showing a hearing loss of
9 units or over were referred to the fortnightly clinic held by Dr.
Friel.
A total of 276 children attended these clinics, 95 being new
cases and 181 old cases; 17 sessions were held, 16.2 cases per session
being seen.
| Nature of Disease. | Total. | Cured. | Lost Sight of. | Still under Treatment. | Hospital Treatment. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acute Suppurative Otitis Media.. | 59 | 48 | 2 | 7 | 2 |
| Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media due to:— | |||||
| (a) Tympanic Sepsis | 18 | 15 | — | 3 | — |
| 5 | 3 | 2 | - | ||
| (c) Tympanic Sepsis and Polypi | 1 | — | — | 1 | — |
| (d) Tympanic Sepsis and Caries | 1 | — | — | 1 | — |
| Tympanic Sepsis and Rhinitis | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Attic Disease | 5 | 3 | — | 2 | — |
| Mastoid Disease | 12 | 4 | — | 4 | 4 |
| External Otitis | 12 | 9 | 1 | — | 2 |
| Not Diagnosed | 6 | 5 | 1 | — | — |
| Totals | 125 | 91 | 5 | 21 | 8 |
The number "lost sight of" is made up as follows:—
Left District 3
Attending own Doctor 1
Refuses Treatment 1
"The table showing the conditions present and the results of
treatment is similar to those which have been published annually.
It will be seen that one of the columns is headed 'still under treatment.'
This is mainly because the table is made up to a certain
date, but new patients have been arriving up to the last session.
These tables are on the same lines as those published elsewhere.
They give as much information as can be conveyed by a summary.
It is the year's balance sheet and allows an indication of where
improvements in treatment may be devised. Without the table
there would be no sound basis, but only 'impressions.'
"This clinic has an advantage in there being a bacteriological
laboratory in the same building. Sometimes during a session it
seemed that a particular organism might be responsible for discharge
from the ear or nose, and it was a simple matter to make a slide