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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34
"The Mental Welfare and After-Care Committee have again
shown that they have the interest of Walthamstow defectives at
heart; whereas the help they have given to the Mental Welfare
Section has been very greatly appreciated. Among their activities
they organised outings in the summer for the junior centre and
the senior boys' class; at Christmas they made generous donations
to the Christmas funds of the Clacton Centres and also enabled
some Walthamstow parents to visit their children there. Grateful
thanks are due to them."
13. BLIND, DEAF, DEFECTIVE AND EPILEPTIC
CHILDREN.
(i) Blind School.— The following table shows the classification of children attending the school at the end of 1939:—
| Blind. | Partially Blind. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walthamstow. | Other Authorities. | Walthamstow. | Other Authorities. | |
| Boys | 3 | 3 | 17 | 3 |
| Girls | — | 2 | 18 | 4 |
| Totals | 3 | 5 | 35 | 7 |
The work done at the school is detailed in previous annual
reports, and the Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Dr. P. McG.
Moffatt, reports as follows:—
"The work of the Myope School has been carried out with the
usual care and efficiency by Miss Balls and her assistants until the
end of the summer term. It is greatly to be regretted that the war
has interrupted the valuable training the children were receiving."
The Head Teacher, Miss M. L. Balls, has kindly sent the
following report:—
"About 90 per cent. of the children availed themselves of the
Milk Marketing Board's scheme for the purchase of milk in school
up to the first week in September.
"On the outbreak of war the school was evacuated to the
Hutton Residential School (L.C.C.) at Hutton, Essex.
"In this we were particularly fortunate, in that the children
were all housed together under ideal conditions governing