London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Tottenham 1919

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Tottenham District]

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each session vary considerably. It has thus frequently happened that
the number has been between 40 and 50 and has on more than one occasion
reached the latter figure; and this is exclusive of such children as
come to fetch glasses or pay for them.
The work of the clinic has thus been carried out under conditions
trying both to the staff and the parents, as many as one hundred persons
having to be accommodated in the two waiting rooms that afford inadequate
space for so great a number.
THE THROAT AND NOSE CLINIC.
The prevalence of enlargement of tonsils and hypertrophy of postnasal
mucous tissue in Tottenham is noteworthy. No fewer than 1,455
cases were referred by the school medical officers for treatment during
the year. During Dr. Martin's absence on military service, the treatment
of those children suffering from enlarged tonsils or adenoids or
both, who were not otherwise provided for was committed to the
Throat Specialist of the Prince of Wales s Hosjital. On the resumption
by Dr. Martin of his civil duties, the clinic a, Bruce Castle was reopened.
Dr. Martin made an examination of al children upon whom
it was proposed to operate. Those children it wll be remembered had
been followed-up after the medical inspection to as certain whether treatment
had been given privately and those are they for whom no such
treatment had been provided. These selected by Dr. Martin for
operation (and the great majority were so selected) wen put on the tonsils
and adenoids register to be called up in rotation for optative treatment,
the written authority of the parents to the giving of the anaesthetic and
the performance of the necessary operation having first ???een obtained.
Careful printed instructions are given to the parent of each child for
the preparation of the patient for operation. It is regrettablae that these
precautionary measures are not always observed, as is mainifested by
sickness of the patient while under the influence of the maesthetic
(Ethyl-chloride). Happily, no untoward incident has resulted from this
cause, but it is manifestly unfair to doctors whose attentions ???e Concentrated
upon the successful completion of the operation the they
should be harrassed by this easily avoidable and dangerous completion,
and to the patient whose life may thus "be placed in imminent jeo???ary
by the inhalation of the stomach contents into the windpipe. Before the
patient is placed on the table the temperature is taken and the here