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
Wimbledon 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wimbledon]
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anaesthetist's fee, and one night in hospital. In a number of
cases it has been found necessary to keep the children in hospital
for a longer period. Under such circumstances the
Committee has made a payment of 2/6 for each additional day.
In all, nineteen children have been maintained in hospital for
eighty-seven additional days at a cost of £10 17s. 6d. The
parents contribute towards the cost in accordance with their
financial circumstances. Where they have been unable to afford
this, financial assistance has been granted by the Invalid
Children's Aid Association.
Full details are outlined in Table IV., Group III.
(f) Ear Diseases and Defective Hearing. Eighty-six
children with minor ear defects were treated at the Health
Centre.
As indicated in the Report for 1936, the Committee agreed
to establish an Aural Clinic in charge of a consulting ear, nose,
and throat surgeon. Mr. R. J. Cann, who is on the staff of
Guy's Hospital, was appointed for this purpose at a fee of
three guineas a session. The necessary equipment was obtained
and the first session was held at the Health Centre in
September and once a month during the remainder of the year.
The following table gives an indication of the work carried out at this Aural Clinic:—
| Total number of sessions | 4 |
| Average number of children attending per session | 15 |
| Total number of individual children seen | 43 |
| Total number of attendances made | 60 |
| Number of individual children referred for treatment to minor ailment clinic | 16 |
| Number of individual children referred to hospital for operative or other treatment | 7 |
The Education Committee decided to hold this Aural Clinic
in association with the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee
and particulars of the attendances of children below school age
are given in the report of the Medical Officer of Health.
(g) Dental Defects. The routine dental inspections
include all the children attending the public elementary
schools.
In 1937 there were 4,157 children dentally inspected in the
routine age groups. A further four hundred and twenty-eight