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 1958
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Tottenham]
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Ophthalmic Clinic
| New cases, Under 5 years of age | 110 |
| Over 5 years of age | 1486 |
| Partially sighted registrations | 3 |
| (These include two brothers with myopic and congenital nystagmus) | |
| Congenital anomalies - New cases. Congenital cataract | 1 |
| Congenital nystagmus | 3 |
| Congenital gliosis of disc | 1 |
| Cases referred to hospital (excluding squints): | |
| For treatment Detachment of retina (traumatic) | 1 |
| Contusion of eye (traumatic) with hyphaema | 1 |
| Iritis and keratitis | 1 |
| For investigation and second opinion Suspected optic atrophy | 2 |
| Post haemorrhagic macular degeneration | 1 |
| Pseudopapilloedema | 1 |
| Of cases referred to this clinic | |
| 20 "squints" and 3 "Lazy eye were found to have no abnormality of either muscles or vision |
Ophthalmic Clinic, Hornsey
I am indebted to Dr. R. Welch, M.D., for the following report;-
"During 1958 I have been in charge of the eye clinics at Hornsey Treatment
Centre and during this period they have been exceptionally busy. The cases seen
are for the most part referred after routine school medical examinations, generally
because of defective vision in one or both eyes. Others have symptoms suggestive
of eye-strain such as headaches and blurred vision especially after close
work. A smaller group of cases are those who have developed an obvious or
Orthoptic Clinic
| No. of attendances | 2628 |
| No. of new cases | 96 |
| No. of cases treated | 120 |
| Of 73 cases continuing treatment | |
| Complete success - 34 - (a) Heterophoria | 12 |
| (b) Intermittent squint | 16 |
| (c) Constant squint | 6 |
| Improving | 18 |
| Failed to improve | 21 |
| Of 47 cases starting treatment in 1958 | |
| Complete success | 16 |
| Improving | 25 |
| Failed to improve | 6 |
| Total No. of occlusions - 46. | |
| Complete success | 33 |
| Partial improvement | 9 |
| Still on treatment | 2 |
| Failed to improve | 2 |