[Report 1908 / Medical Officer of Health, Burnley County Borough.

  • Burnley (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1908
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1908 / Medical Officer of Health, Burnley County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    126/132 (page 110)
    Report. lio In the foregoing schedule the letters M., S., D., W. and C. lepiesent Measles, Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, and Chickenpox respectively. The back of the card provides for the entering of fuller particulars regarding any defect that may be found. This schedule varies somewhat from the one suggested in Circular 582 issued by the Board of Education, inasmuch as certain headings are left out—Nutrition, Heart and Circulation, Lungs, Nervous System, Tuberculosis, and Rickets. In drawing up the schedule it was considered advisable to make the list as short as possible, and certain defects which it was thought would be seldom met with were left out. So far experience has shewn that the schedule adopted has been sufficient ; spaces are left for entering the rarer defects. In addition to filling up the schedule a register of all the cases is kept. This is done so that the statistics may be easily got out and that the defective children may be more easily referred to. It is practically a copy of the schedule, which is placed in an indexed cabinet after completion. In filling up these schedules the advantage of the parent’s presence is obvious, for the]i the history of previous illnesses of the child may be obtained ; but a greater advantage is gained if we find a defective child, for then we get a history of the ailment, and also a history of any steps which may have been taken to alleviate these conditions, a knowledge of which is quite necessary before any suggestions are made as to dealing with the defect. Methods of dealing with the Defectives.—The word defect is here used to denote any defect, whether of a permanent or temporary, physical or mental nature. If the defect has been such as requires medical attention, the parents have been advised to take their child to their usual medical attendant, and in order to see that this advice has been followed the nurse or female health visitor has visited at the home. In a few of the cases the parents have taken the children to the Hospital. If the defect is of a slight nature, when such a simple remedy as soap and water is necessary as a first step in the cure, the nurse is sent to the house with instructions to advise the mother or person in charge to deal with the case, and if medical assistance is required to see that this is obtained and report to the Medical Officer. As regards children whose defects are slight, and of such a nature that further observation may be made in school, the teacher is asked to inform the Medical Officer of anything that m^ght have a bearing on this defect.