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
West Ham 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]
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results of routine and special inspections with reference to eye
conditions for the last twelve years is given in Table XIII.
Further information regarding the incidence of eye conditions
may be obtained from Table XIV, which deals with those
children who were treated for eye conditions during the same
period.
Table XIV.
Elementary Schools.
Summary of Treatment of Visual Defects and Eye Diseases.
| Year | Minor eye defects | Errors of refraction | Other defects | Spectacles prescribed | Spectacles obtained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | 1,231 | 1,989 | 14 | 1,790 | 1,663 |
| 1927 | 1,060 | 2,082 | 22 | 1,953 | 1,740 |
| 1928 | 1,089 | 2,086 | 13 | 1,965 | 1,530 |
| 1929 | 1,123 | 1,835 | 21 | 1,710 | 1,558 |
| 1930 | 1,073 | 2,959 | 25 | 2,850 | 2,517 |
| 1931 | 1,191 | 3,016 | — | 2,809 | 2,632 |
| 1932 | 1,208 | 3,621 | 12 | 3,068 | 2,717 |
| 1933 | 1,303 | 3,653 | 31 | 2,961 | 2,813 |
| 1934 | 1,259 | 3,484 | — | 2,849 | 2,604 |
| 1935 | 1,153 | 3,483 | — | 2,693 | 2,560 |
| 1936 | 1,11 1 | 2,853 | — | 2,472 | 2,312 |
| 1937 | 969 | 2,043 | — | 1,877 | 1,790 |
The actual incidence of these eye conditions, based on the
total cases requiring treatment and observation for last year, and
on the school populations given in Table II is set out in Table XV.
It may be inferred from this table that there has been no
marked change in the incidence of minor eye defects. It would
appear that defective vision was definitely more frequently found
six years ago than it is to-day. Apart from the years 1932 and
1937 the incidence of squint showed no marked variations. The
high incidence of this condition in 1937 is remarkable, and suggests
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