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 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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of cases of skin disease is shown in the following table detailing the work done at the school clinics:—
| First Inspections | Re-inspections | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys | Girls | Boys | Girls | |
| Ringworm—Scalp | 1 | — | 1 | 1 |
| Body | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| Scabies | 1 | 2 | — | — |
| Impetigo | 13 | 12 | 27 | 16 |
| Other Skin Defects | 44 | 49 | 113 | 157 |
| Verminous Head | 15 | 41 | 41 | 194 |
| Tonsils and Adenoids | 11 | 14 | 12 | 17 |
| Other E.N.T. conditions | 31 | 31 | 115 | 106 |
| Defective Vision (including squint) | 44 | 61 | 17 | 14 |
| External Eye Disease | 80 | 82 | 78 | 92 |
| Sores | — | — | — | — |
| Various | 991 | 868 | 2,590 | 2,545 |
| Totals | 1,233 | 1,164 | 3,000 | 3,147 |
First attendances number 2,397 against 2,990 in 1952, and
re-attendances 6,147 against 7,644, the total attendances being
8,544 against 10,634.
The following table shows the new cases and attendances at Minor Ailment Clinics since 1948. The decrease probably reflects the tendency for children to be taken to family doctors :
| 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New cases | 5,086 | 3,757 | 3,356 | 3,106 | 2,990 | 2,397 |
| Attendances | 16,490 | 14,112 | 11,515 | 10,000 | 10,634 | 8,544 |
Of the conditions referred to under "Other E.N.T. Conditions,"
there were only two cases of discharging ears. This favourable
condition is largely due to routine treatment by ionisation which
has been carried out by Dr. Clarke for many years and also to the
general use in medical practice of anti-biotics. This favourable
position also occurs at the School for the Deaf where there was no
case of discharging ears.
(d) Dental Treatment.—Mr. L. W. Elmer, Senior Dental
Surgeon, submits the following report:—
In my report for 1952 I expressed hopes that the improvement
in the staffing position towards the end of that year would lead to
an increase in the number of routine inspections and treatments,
especially conservative work.
I am thankful to say that this increase has taken place, the
number of fillings in permanent teeth having increased by over
2,000 or 50%. The corresponding figures for fillings in temporary
teeth being 331, or nearly 50%.