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 1939
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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"The details of the group described as various are as follows:—
| Defects. | Boys. | Girls. |
|---|---|---|
| Squints | 13 | 14 |
| Headaches, anaemia, styes, debility, etc. | 5 | 7 |
| Exophthalmos | 1 | |
| Colobomo of Macula | 2 | — |
| Photophobia in bright light | 1 | 1 |
| Choroiditis | 1 | — |
| Posterior Synechia | 1 | — |
| Injury | 1 | |
| Amblyopia | — | 1 |
| Totals | 23 | 25 |
"The types of squints seen and treated are given in the next table:—
| Under 7 years. | 7-11 years. | Over 11 years. | Total. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys. | Girls. | Boys. | Girls. | Boys. | Girls. | |||
| Internal— | R. | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | 3 | 16 |
| L. | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 15 | |
| External— | R. | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| L. | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | |
| Alternating | 3 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 19 | |
| Occasional- | R. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| L. | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 5 | |
| Total | 13 | 16 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 57 | |
"The routine of the Eye Clinic continued as usual until evacuation
took place in September; therefore, as August is a holiday
month, the tables shown above relate almost entirely to seven
months' work.
"During September and October, as was to be expected, the
Eye Clinic almost entirely disappeared, but by December there
was a considerable improvement in the numbers attending."
Orthoptic Clinic.—The following report on the work of this
clinic has been given by Miss G. H. Montague Smith, the Orthoptist:
"Owing to the outbreak of war, and hence the evacuation of
the children, the work of the Orthoptic Clinic has been somewhat
curtailed. The clinic did not re-open after the summer holidays
until December, when it was found that enough children had
returned to make it worth while. Since then the number of