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
Tottenham 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Tottenham]
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Work at Vale Road School for Physically Handicapped Children has provided much opportunity for research. The following table may be of interest in showing the variety of disorder found:-
| Total Number treated 17, (Boys 11, Girls 6). | |
| Spastic/Athetoid Dysarthria | 5 |
| Spastic/Athetoid Dysarthria with hearing loss (particularly for high frequencies) | 2 |
| Dysphonia | 1 |
| Aphasia | 1 |
| Pseudo-bulbar hypogenesis | 1 |
| Dystatic | 1 |
| Stammer with right hemiplegia | 2 |
| Interdental lisp | 1 |
| Delayed speech development | 3 |
Tuberculosis in School Children
Results of recent epidemiological investigations following cases of
tuberculosis occurring in schools are set out below:-
(i) A secondary grammar school in Hornsey
A case of infectious pulmonary tuberculosis was notified at this school
and in February a total of 343 boys were patch tested.
The patch test showed 271 boys negative and 69 positive to tuberculin.
A chest X-ray was advised for the 69 patch positive boys and 55 attended the
mass X-ray unit in March together with seven masters who accepted the offer
of an X-ray,
The parents of the other 14 boys were advised and made private arrangements
for X-rays of their boys.
The Chest Specialist has now reported that the seven masters and 55 boys
who attended for X-ray showed no evidence of chest disease.
(ii) A secondary modern school in Tottenham
During April 1954 a case of pulmonary tuberculosis of an infectious type
was notified in a schoolgirl.
Investigations were made at the school during May 1954. Her 15 class
contacts were X-rayed and one other child was found suffering from tuberculosis.
Patch testing was subsequently carried out on 94 possible contacts in
other classes. Of these, 86 were negative and eight were patch positive.