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Minor skin troubles of various kinds. These include the triad of ringworm,
scabies and impetigo, together with a variety of other skin conditions. Ringworm of
the scalp has dropped to negligible proportions; scabies has a very low incidence,
and impetigo remains within bounds, so to speak. Many children are affected each year
with plantar warts. The incidence is three times greater among girls than among boys,
and the incidence increases with age in both sexes. It is at its maximum between 11
and 14 years. Similarly many children attend the minor ailment clinics in the summer
with ringworm of the feet. This is a very troublesome condition and treatment is
prolonged. Stress is laid on preventive measure.
Minor ailments of the eyes. These are mainly external diseases such as various
forms of conjunctivitis, sore eyelids, small cysts of the eyelids, minor injuries and
foreign bodies. In a few cases external eye diseases indicate eyestrain or debility, or
unhygienic surroundings. Eyestrain can cause tired eyes, and these are rubbed more than
usual; hence inflammation results. With a general improvement in living conditions,
in hygiene generally, and in the health of the children these diseases of the external
eye are seen much less frequently than formerly and when they are met with they are not
nearly so severe as they have been in the past. Some of these diseases of the external eye
are, however, according to their nature and severity, sent to the ophthalmic clinic in West
Ham Lane for specialist attention. In most of the cases they can be dealt with at this
clinic but occasionally the specialist sends them to hospital for treatment.
Minor ailments of the ears. These consist of small boils in the outer passage
and can be very painful, the accumulation of wax in the ears which is the most common
cause of hearing loss, the slighter degrees of earache and discharging ears, and finally,
foreign bodies (chiefly met with in the younger children). As with minor eye diseases these
conditions are much less common than formerly: also they are not nearly so severe. The
more serious conditions considered to require specialist attention, are referred, subject
to agreement with the child's family doctor, to the ear, nose and throat specialist. The
aural specialist has noted a marked reduction in the number of chronic ear diseases in the
borough.
Miscellaneous conditions. These form the bulk of the cases treated and consist
of a very mixed collection such as bruises, sprains and strains, abrasions and lacerations,
boils, whitlows, chilblains, cuts, sores, and minor injuries of various kinds.
The above cases form the main mass of work at minor ailment clinics. They are
treated by the nurses under the supervision of the medical officers. The following figures
give the number of cases which were seen at the clinics during the year for:-
Skin Diseases 943
External Eye Diseases 173
Minor Ear Defects 15
Miscellaneous Defects 1,273
Total: 2,542
102