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
East Ham 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]
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93
DEFECTS DISCLOSED BY MEDICAL INSPECTION.
Squint.
25 boys and 41 girls were found to have this defect; these
numbers give percentages of 0.98 and 1.7 respectively.
The offer of treatment was readily accepted in the majority of
cases.
External Eye Inflammation.
The various inflammations and their sequelae under this heading
were found in 44 boys and 52 girls, giving percentages 1.7 and
2.2 respectively.
Blepharitis was the commonest defect, and in many cases the
general cleanliness of the children was neglected.
A considerable number of corneal opacities was also discovered.
The total number examined for visual defects was 1,883. The results are tabulated as to numbers and percentage under slight and great defect:—
| Slight Defect. | Great Defect. |
|---|---|
| Boys 70 | Boys 184 |
| Percentage 6.5. | Percentage 17.3. |
| Girls 41 | Girls 106 |
| Percentage 5.0. | Percentage 12.9. |
Fuller details are given of the cases of defective vision in the
Ophthalmic Surgeon's report on page 114.
Deafness and Discharging Ears.
The percentages of boys and girls found to have subsnormal
hearing or to be actually deaf were 3.5 and 3.1 respectively.
Discharging ears, so frequently associated with impaired
hearing, were noted in 61 boys and 48 girls, yielding percentages
of 2.5 and 2.03 respectively.
By reference to the table inset facing page 112, it will be seen
that a great many treatments were given for discharging ears; by
these means a considerable number of children were permitted to
remain in attendance at school.