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
Ilford 1911
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]
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The following table gives the age and sex distribution of those examined, excluding specials:—
| 4-5 | 5-6 | 6-7 | 7-8 | 8-9 | 9-10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys | — | 576 | l6l | 114 | 95 | 74 |
| Girls | 1 | 538 | 170 | 109 | 97 | 85 |
| Totals | 1 | 1114 | 331 | 223 | 192 | 159 |
| 101-1 | 11-12 | 12-13 | 13-14 | 11-15 | 15-16 | |
| Boys | 62 | 71 | 56 | 503 | 98 | 9 |
| Girls | 109 | 6l | 62 | 506 | 88 | 8 |
| Totals | 171 | 132 | 1l8 | 1009 | 186 | 17 |
The head teachers are requested to forward lists of those
children admitted to their departments since the last inspection,
and those who are about to leave school. Arrangements
are then made for the doctor to visit the school at
stated times. Parents present at the inspection of children
found defective were carefully advised how to remedy these
defects. This was particularly useful in prolonged debilitating
conditions, and where, for some reason or other, the parent
cannot obtain the advice of a local medical practitioner, and
in those cases where the personal and domestic hygiene
appears to be defective.
In some cases it was possible, at the request of parents,
to have the defect demonstrated to them, such as wax in
ears, enlarged tonsils, etc. This convinced the parents and
made them more willing to have the defect attended to. The
average time taken in the examinations per child was 8.5
minutes. This figure excludes the time wasted in getting
the room, cards and children ready for inspection, but includes
the time taken in testing vision, weighing and
measuring, and advising and addressing parents.