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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the Members of Parliament for the Borough of the Committee's
representations and requesting their intervention, and to acquaint
the Ministry of Education with the correspondence.
By June a letter had been received from the Local Education
Authority indicating that agreement had been reached with the
Regional Hospital Board as a result of which existing arrangements
at the Hale End Orthopedic Clinic would continue on the retirement
of Mr. Whitchurch Howell, Orthopedic Surgeon. Mr. G.
Rigby Jones, M.C., Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon at the
Connaught Hospital, has been appointed to succeed Mr. Whitchurch
Howell.
The Committee noted with satisfaction that their representations
regarding the continuance of specialist clinics generally and
the Orthopedic Clinic in particular, had been successful.
(a) Eye Clinic.—The following tables show the work done in 1953:—
| New Cases. | Under 7 years. | 7-11 years. | Over 11 years. | Total. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys. | Girls. | Boys. | Girls. | Boys. | Girls. | Boys. | Girls. | |
| Hypermetropia | 18 | 26 | 56 | 72 | 37 | 72 | 1ll | 170 |
| Hypermetropic Astigmatism | 32 | 21 | 40 | 36 | 14 | 18 | 86 | 75 |
| Myopic Astigmatism | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | 2 | - |
| Mixed Astigmatism | 6 | - | - | - | 4 | - | 10 | - |
| Myopia | 1 | 5 | 9 | 15 | 26 | 31 | 36 | 51 |
| Other Eye defects | 12 | 18 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 30 | 25 |
| No visual defects | - | - | 3 | 5 | - | - | 3 | |
| Totals | 69 | 70 | 120 | 132 | 89 | 124 | 278 | 326 |
Number of children for whom glasses were:—
| Prescribed | 1,063 |
| Obtained | 1,063 |
| Number of re-inspections | 3,224 |
| Number of treatments | 212 |
| Total attendances | 4,040 |
Supply of Spectacles.
The attendance at Eye Clinics of the dispensing optician provided
by the Hospital Management Committee is of very great
advantage to all concerned. There is no compulsion to obtain
spectacles through official sources and parents can go to their own
opticians if they prefer.