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 1941
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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Clinic Table continued.
| Number excluded under Art.20 B. | Number not Excluded | Re- inspections | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys | 3 Girls | Boys | Girls | Boys | Girls | |
| Discharging Ears | — | - | 144 | 104 | 389 | 27 5 |
| Defective Vision | - | - | 18 | 24 | — | 2 |
| External Eye Disease | 11 | 23 | 41 | 46 | 176 | 289 |
| Humps | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Tonsils & Adenoids | - | - | 14 | 5 | — | - |
| Various | 82 | 105 | 378 | 378 | 1740 | 1470 |
| Totals | 235 | 317 | 748 | 814 | 3279 | 3449 |
Number of children seen at first inspection 8114
Number of children sent by Attendance Officers 93
Number of attendances made by children 8842
Number of children sent by Head Teachers 2021 2021
Number of swabs.be taken 87
Number operated on for Tonsils and Adenoid 7
Number of children seen by Ophthalmic Surgeon - New cases 362
Prescribed for 306
Total inspections 1521
First attendances numbered 8114 against 1386 in 1940, and
re-attendances 6728 against 3014, the total attendances being 8842
against 4400.
(d) Visual Defects and External Eye Disease. Treatment for the
latter is given at the school clinics.
Dr. Sheppard has kindly contributed the following account of
the Work done during 1941
"I am sure your Committee will be pleased at the way the
children have attended the eye clinic during 1941.
"There were 1712 attendances at the eye clinic during the year.
460 of these were submitted to retinoscopy, 362 being new cases.
The following table shows the defects found in the new cases seen
| Under 7 yrs | 7-11 yrs | Over 11 yrs | Secondary Schools | Totals | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bys | Gls | Bys | Gls | Bys | Gls | Bys | Gls | Bys | Gls | |
| Hypermet ropia | 16 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 8 | 5 | - | 3 | 36 | 36 |
| Hypermetropic Astigmatism | 7 | 7 | 21 | 22 | 8 | 2,2 | 1 | 4 | 37 | 55 |
| Myopic Astigmatism | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 12 | 16 |
| Mixed Astigmatism | - | - | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 10 |
| Myopia | - | 2 | 4 | 6 | 20 | 14 | 3 | 10 | 27 | 32 |
| Various | 29 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 12 | 9 | - | 1 | 56 | 34 |
| Totals | 53 | 36 | 60 | 62. | 60 | 58 | 6 | 27 | 179 | 183 |
The details of the group described as various are as follows-
| Defects | Boys | Girls | Total |
| Squints | 33 | 18 | 51 |
| Headache, anaemia, styes, debility. | 16 | 13 | 2.9 |
| Nystagmus | 1 | - | 1 |
| Cataracts | 2 | - | 2 |
| No visual defect | - | 7 | 7 |
The Orthoptist has continued her work during the year with
excellent results."
8.