USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1931 > Part 25
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17
1
2
1
1
3
2
3
2
1
16
2
1
1
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
17
57 Diabetes Mellitus
1
2
1
1
1
2
8
58A Pernicious Anæmia
1
3
2
1
1
1
5
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
2
1
1
2
III. DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND OF THE ORGANS OF SPECIAL SENSE.
71A Meningitis
1
1
10
6
7
8
14
6
7
4
7
4
11
7
91
74B Cerebral Thrombosis
1
1
5
75B Paralysis without speci- fied cause
1
1
1
1
1
...
3
84 Other Diseases of the Ner- vous System
2
1
3
IV. DISEASES OF THE CIRCULA- TORY SYSTEM.
88 Endocarditis & Myocarditis (acute)
89 Angina Pectoris.
2
1
1
....
..
2
2 1
2
5
21
1
1
1
1
4
2
2
3
1
2
1
4
2
2
4
3
26
46 Cancer of Female Genital Organs
47 Cancer of breast
49 Cancer of other uuspeci- fied Organs
52 Chronic Rheumatism.
2
2
62 Diseases of the Thymus Gland
63 Disease of the adrenals
65 Leukemia
66 Acute alcoholism.
69 Other General Diseases
2
1
1
1
...
10 Diphtheria.
2
2
..
1
1
21
31 Tuberculosis of the Res- piratory System
33 Tuberculosis of the Peri- toneum, Intestines
41 General Septicaemia
42 Purulent Infection
...
1
1
1
4
...
...
2
1 )
1
1
75A Hemiplegia
1
1
2
78 Epilepsy
1
1
79 Convulsions
1
1
1
74A Cerebral Hemorrhage
1
2
414
ANNUAL REPORTS
MORTALITY IN SOMERVILLE IN 1931-Continued
January.
February.
March.
April.
May.
June.
July.
August.
September.
October.
November.
December.
Total.
90 Other Diseases of the Heart
22
23 13
19
20
16
15
12
5
12
18
15
17
194
91B Arterio Sclerosis
9
12
14
15
8
7
13
8
5
5
11
120
.91C Other diseases of the arteries
92 Embolism and Thrombosis
1
2
1
1
1
1
7
'94 Diseases of the Lymphatic System
1
1
1
:96 Hypertension.
V. DISEASES OF THE RESPIRA- TORY SYSTEM.
98 Diseases of the Larynx
99A Bronchitis
99 B Chronic Bronchitis
.99C Bronchitis Unspecified).
1
1
1
10
16
9
8
5
1
4
3
6
3
5
4
10
5
5
5
·2
1
4
9
45
3
2
1
1
1
3
3
107C Other Diseases of the respiratory system
VI. DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM.
109B Diseases of the Pharynx and Tonsils
111 Ulcer of Stomach
111B Ulcer of the Duodenum
113 Diarrhea and Enteritis (under 2 years).
1
1
1
2
5
114 Diarrhea and Enteritis (over 2 years) 117 Appendicitis
118B Intestinal Obstruction
122B Cirrhosis of the Liver
123 Biliary Calculi .
124 Other Diseases of the Liver Peritonitis
1
1
1
2
2
2
9
VII. NON VENEREAL DISEASES OF THE GENITO-URINARY SYSTEM.
128 Acute Nephritis
1
2
1
1
2
1
8
4
4
1
2
1
1
3
1
1
2
3
23
133 Diseases of the bladder
135 Diseases of the Prostate ...
139 Benign tumor of uterus ..
1
1
VIIJ. THE PUERPERAL STATE
144 Puerperal hemorrhage .....
146 Puerperal Septicemia
147 Fuerperal Phlegmasia.
148 Puerperal Albuminaria.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
100A Broncho Pneumonia
101A Lobar Pneumonia
:103 Congestion and Hemor- rhagic Infarct of Lung .... 105 Asthma
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
...
2
126
129 Chronic Nephritis
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
..
5
1
......
70
11
2
7
6
7
1
1
1
415
BOARD OF HEALTH
MORTALITY IN SOMERVILLE IN 1931-Continued
January.
February.
March.
April.
May.
June.
July.
August
September.
October.
November.
December.
Total.
IX. DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND OF THE CELLULAR TISSUE.
X. DISEASES OF THE BONES AND OF THE ORGANS OF LO- COMOTION.
151 Gangrene.
XI. MALFORMATIONS.
159A Hydrocephalus.
1
1
159B Congenital heart.
1
1
2
159C Others under this title
XII. EARLY INFANCY.
160
Congenital Debility
1
1
1
. .
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
3
3
20
161B Injury at Birth
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
9
162 Other Diseases peculiar to Early Infancy
1
1
2
1
5
XIII. SENILITY
164 Senility
XIV. EXTERNAL CAUSES.
166 Suicide by corrosive Substances
1
1
167 Suicide by Gas
1
3
168 Suicide by Hanging.
1
1
169 Suicide by Drowning.
2
1
3
170 Suicide by Firearms
1
1
171
Suicide by Cutting
1
1
2
177 Other Acute A cci dental Poisonings.
2
2
179
Accidental Burns ..
1
1
1
1
185 Accidental Fall
3
1
2
1
7
188A Accidental Traumatism
by Crushing Vehicle
1
1
2
1
1
2
1
2
1
8
194
Excessive Heat.
1
197
Homicide by Firearms
1
1
2
198 Homicide by Cutting.
1
1
201 Fracture cause not Speci- fied.
1
1
1
3
XV. ILL DEFINED CAUSES
98
116
79
88
94
70
45
58
61
59
74
96
938
1
1
....
1
1
7.
1
1
1
5
1
1
2
182
Accidental Drowning
188C Automobile Accident
1
1
1
202 Other External Causes
3
161A Premature Birth
3
416
MONTHS.
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1
I
1
4
5
7
5
6
2
2
4.
5
2
·2
2
3
1
9
6
7
3
3
1
7.
2
4
January .
1
11
11
:
:
:
2
2
. . .
2
1
1
3
4
7
6
4
1
2
2
February
2
2
3
7
1
6
7
4
2|
5
March
..
1
2
2
1
2
2
6
7
5
5
6
4
3
4
2
2
3
1
2
3
May
1
1
3
2
6
1
2
1
2
4
1
June
1|
3
3
21
1
8
3
4
3
July
1
1
1
1
1
..
..
...
...
1
1
...
3
6
3
2
1
..
...
1
2
1
2
1
2
3
October ..
61
1
2
4
...
..
:
1
1
1
December
3
A
2
A
0
1
19
16
14
3 10
5
6
5 28
7
1
1
0
2
0
32
54 46 52 35
38 34 34 29 24
Total
Deaths from Scarlet Fever, Diptheria, Typhoid Fever, and Tuberculosis in the Last Ten Years
TUBERCULOSIS ALL FORMS.
SCARLET FEVER.
DIPHTHERIA.
1
·2
1
1
...
1
1
April
1
1
3
1
..
. .
1
-
...
2
1
August
2.
3
2
1
5
4
31
3
3
1
September
3
...
..
..
..
.. .
November
1
2
:
5
8
3
4
1
4
1
1
2
2
..
..
1
3
1
:
...
..
1
4
3
4
1|
1
·
..
1
4
...
..
:
...
...
..
3.
6
2
L
...
...
1
3
3
1
...
1
5
2
. .
1
.. .
1
ANNUAL REPORTS
TYPHOID FEVER.
3
417
BOARD OF HEALTH
DEATHS BY AGES
Ages
Male
Female
Total
Under one
38
31
69
One to two
13
3
16
Two to three
5
2
7
Three to four
2
3
5
Four to five
1
1
2
Five to ten
6
3
9
Ten to fifteen
5
3
8
Fifteen to twenty
4
7
11
Twenty to thirty
21
11
32
Thirty to forty
18
22
40
Forty to fifty
40
27
67
Fifty to sixty
61
59
120
Sixty to seventy
106
89
195
Seventy to eighty
105
123
228
Eighty to ninety
36
72
108
Ninety and over
4
17
21
465
473
938
TOTAL DEATHS DURING LAST TEN YEARS
Year
No. of Deaths
Rate per 1,000
1922
1,019
10.41
1923
1,108
11.30%
1924
979
9.79
1925
1,110
11.20
1926
1,084
10.73
1927
931
9.04
1928
1,059
10.18
1929
947
9.10
1930
1,009
9.73
1931
938
10.05
Average death rate per 1,000 for ten years
Table Showing the Five Principal Causes of Deaths in Somerville in 1931
HEART DISEASE.
ARTERIO SCLEROSIS
PNEUMONIA ALL FORMS.
CANCER ALL FORMS.
APOPLEXY.
Number of Deaths.
Number per
10,000 of Pop.
Number of
Deaths.
Number per
10,000 of Pop.
Number of
Deaths.
Number per
10,000 of Pop.
Number of
Deaths.
Number per
10,000 of Pop.
Number of
Deaths.
Number per
10,000 of Pop.
194
18.72
120
11.57
115
11.10
97
9.35
9.
8.78
10.05,
418
ANNUAL REPORTS
DISEASES DANGEROUS TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH
This board has adjudged that the diseases known as ac- tinomycosis, anterior poliomyelitis, anthrax, Asiatic cholera, cerebro-spinal meningitis, chicken pox, diphtheria, dog bite, dysentery, German measles, glanders, hookworm disease, in- fectious disease of the eye, influenza, leprosy, malaria, measles, mumps, pellagra, plague, pneumonia (lobar only), rabies, scar- let, septic sore throat, small pox, tetanus, trichinosis, tuber- culosis (all forms), typhoid fever, whooping cough, yellow fev- er, are infectious and dangerous to the public health and safe- ty within the meaning of the statutes. Physicians are required to report immediately to the board every case of either of these diseases coming under their care and postal cards conven- iently printed and addressed are supplied to them for the pur- pose. On receipt of card from a physician, the principal of the school in the district in which the patient resides and state Board of Health are notified.
SPECIMENS AND SUPPLIES
Outfits for specimens to be examined for tuberculosis, diphtheria and typhoid fever, and diphtheria anti-toxin, vac- cine lymph and nitrate of silver solution may be obtained at the laboratory and at the following places :
Edward Edwards, 25 Union Square R. A. Peckham, 86 Broadway Ernest M. Vose, 310 Broadway George E. Wardrobe, 716 Broadway Willis S. Furbush & Co., 1153 Broadway George R. Reed, Hobbs Building, Davis Square Somerville Drug Co., 288 Highland Avenue George E. Grover, 146 Broadway
Hereafter the Agent of this Board will collect, daily at five o'clock p. m., all specimens left at culture stations for examination, prior to that hour.
Physicians desiring reports on the following day, must deposit same at the City Hall, in the receptacle provided, be- fore nine-thirty p. m.
Results of all examinations of specimens received at the City Hall prior to nine-thirty p. m., will be reported to the physicians on the following morning.
419
BOARD OF HEALTH
MEDICAL INSPECTION OF SCHOOLS
The medical inspection of the schools of Somerville which was instituted in December 1907, has been continued during the year. The value of the system has been constantly dem- onstrated, and the work has been done in a very satisfactory manner. There has been harmony of action between the Board of Health and the school board, and the school princ- ipals and teachers have very generally co-operated with the in- spectors in making the system as successful as possible.
The inspectors make daily visits to the schools under their charge, and to them are referred all children who show evi- dences of disease or abnormal conditions. Children who are found to be unfit to remain in school are sent home, accom- panied by a slip properly filled out advising that the family physician be consulted. The inspectors also make an annual inspection of all the children in the schools, and any defects discovered are called to the attention of the parents. Monthly inspections of the school buildings and premises are made, and suggestions or criticisms are referred to the proper authorities. Every effort is made to protect the health of the children and co-operate with the parents in keeping the children in as nor- mal a condition as possible. In accordance with the provisions of the statute, tests of sight and hearing are made by the principals and teachers.
District No. 1
Inspector Dr. Francis Shaw, 57 Cross Street
Schools Prescott, Hanscom, Edgerly and Boys' Voca- tional School.
District No. 2
Inspector Dr. John D. Bennett, 779 Broadway
Schools Baxter, Knapp, Perry and Southern Junior High Schools.
District No. 3
Inspector Dr. Crawford K. Sweeley, 25 Curtis Street
Schools Bennett, Pope, Cummings and Proctor Schools.
District No. 4
Inspector Dr. Wilfred C. Macdonald, 189 Summer Street Schools Morse, Carr, Durrell and Burns Schools.
420
ANNUAL REPORTS
District No. 5
Inspector Dr. H. M. Stoodley, 283 Highland Avenue
Schools Brown, Bingham, Forster and Northeastern Junior High Schools.
District No. 6
Inspector Dr. H. Cholerton, 94 College Avenue
Schools Western Junior High, Lincoln, Highland, Cut- ler and Lowe Schools.
District No. 7
Inspector Dr. E. F. Sewall, 281 Broadway
Schools Glines, Grimmons and High Schools.
District No. 8
Inspector Dr. M. W. White, 21 Walnut Street Schools Parochial.
During the year 10,454 children have been referred to the inspectors during their daily visits, and 966 have been sent home because of illness.
The following list will show the classes of diseases and de- fects which have been found in the schools, except defects of sight and hearing :
LIST OF DISEASES AND NUMBER OF CASES REPORTED
1. Infectious Diseases :-
Chicken Pox
31
Diphtheria
0
Infantile Paralysis
0
Influenza
0
Measles
14
Mumps
11
Scarlet Fever
9
Tuberculosis
2
Whooping Cough
4
Total
71
2. Diseases of the Nose and Throat :-
Enlarged tonsils and adenoids
1086
Inflammatory diseases
166
Other abnormal conditions
15
Total
1267
421
BOARD OF HEALTH
3. Diseases of the Eyes :-
Foreign bodies
0
Inflammatory conditions
5
Other abnormal conditions
46
Total
46
4. Diseases of the Ear :-
Inflammatory conditions
1
Other abnormal conditions
8
Total
9
5. Diseases of the Skin :-
Eczema
10
Herpes
80
Impetigo
588
Pediculosis
362
Scabies
126
Tinea
1
Miscellaneous conditions
46
Total
1213
6. Miscellaneous Diseases :-
Diseases of the Circulatory System
166
Diseases of the Digestive Organs
175
Diseases of the Lymphatic System
8
Diseases of the Nervous System
6
Diseases of the Respiratory System
101
Teeth
1
Wounds and Injuries
84
Other conditions
142
Total
683
Total number of diseases
3294
Vaccinations performed
27
Examinations for vaccinations
78
BACTERIOLOGICAL WORK
The report of the work of this department is made by Frank L. Morse, M. D., on a subsequent page and becomes part of this report.
UNDERTAKERS
Under the provisions of Section 49 of Chapter 114 of the General Laws, 22 persons have been duly licensed as under- takers.
422
ANNUAL REPORTS
EXAMINATIONS OF PLUMBERS
The public statutes provide for a board of examiners of plumbers, consisting of the chairman of the Board of Health, the inspector of buildings, and an expert at plumbing, to be appointed by the Board of Health. This board appointed Dun- can C. Greene, the inspector of plumbing, to fill the place of expert. The number of licenses granted will be found in the report of the inspector of buildings.
HEALTH NURSES
There are at present six nurses employed by this board. Three of these are employed as school nurses and the work of the others consists of follow-up work regarding tuberculosis cases and post natal hygiene work, together with the other work connected with this board.
The reports of the school nurses are made a part of the re- port of the School Committee and those of the other nurses are made a part of this report being submitted in detail in sub- sequent pages.
INFANT HYGIENE CLINICS
During the past year under the supervision of this board, clinics have been held every Tuesday afternoon at the Edgerly Schoolhouse, every Thursday afternoon at the Bennett School- house, and every Friday afternoon at the Bingham School- house except when the days were holidays. The attendance for the year at these clinics was 3,971.
The average weekly attendance at the Edgerly Schoolhouse was 23, at the Bennett Schoolhouse S, and at the Bingham Schoolhouse 47.
This work is of inestimable value and the results are very far reaching.
DIPHTHERIA IMMUNIZATION
For some time the Board has had the question of diphtheria immunization among children under consideration, and on October 2, 1931, they voted to offer to the residents of Somer- ville the opportunity to immunize their children against diph- theria. As a result of this request 11,892 inoculations were made among school children and 196 inoculations among pre-
423
BOARD OF HEALTH
school children. The details of this campaign will be found in the report of the medical inspector.
LOUIS J. GRANDISON, Chairman JAMES A. KILEY GERALD L. MCSWEENEY
Board of Health ..
Attest :
LAWRENCE S. HOWARD, Executive Clerk.
.
424
ANNUAL REPORTS
REPORT OF HEALTH NURSES
Somerville, Mass. January 2, 1932.
To the Board of Health,
Somerville, Mass.
Gentlemen :
We submit the following report of work performed by us in infant hygiene, post natal and tuberculosis cases for the year ending December 31, 1931.
Infant Hygiene
Infants reported as born in Somerville during 1931 1159
Infants born elsewhere resident in Somerville. 527
Pairs of twins born in Somerville 9
Sets of triplets born in Somerville 1
Stillbirths in Somerville 48
Infants reported with Ophthalmia Neomatorum
1
Infants reported with Conjunctivitis
4
Infants reported with Infantile Paralysis
12
There were 69 deaths of infants under one year of age in Somerville during the past year as shown in the following table :
Permaturity
20
Congenital Diseases
8
Intestinal Diseases
2
Accidental Injury
6
Pneumonia and other Diseases
33
Total 69
Total attendance at Baby Welfare Clinics during 1931
3971
New registrations during 1931
520
Average attendance during 1931
26
Tuberculosis
Pulmonary Tuberculosis cases reported during 1931 99
Other forms of Tuberculosis reported in 1931
30
Patients admitted to Sanatoria 87
Patients previously reported in Sanatoria
60
Deaths in Somerville (pulmonary 20, other forms 4)
24
Deaths in Sanatoria 12, Discharged 28
40
Patients now in Sanatoria
163
Patients temporarily out of Somerville
10
Patients who have moved out of Somerville
48
425
BOARD OF HEALTH
TABLE SHOWING AGES AND SEX OF CASES REPORTED DURING 1931
Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Sex
Ages
Male
Female 4
8
From fifteen to twenty years
6
5
11
From twenty to thirty years
17
19
36
From thirty to forty years
12
10
22
Over forty years
11
11
22
Totals
50
49
99
Other Forms of Tuberculosis
-Sex-
Ages
Male
Female
Total
Under fifteen years
8
8
16
From fifteen to twenty years
3
2
5
From twenty to thirty years
2
5
7
From thirty to forty years
0
1
1
Over forty years
1
0
1
Totals
14
16
30
Miscellaneous
Typhoid Fever cases reported .....
4
Recapitulation of Visits
Baby Hygiene
5052
Tuberculosis
933
Miscellaneous
1133
Total visits
7118
Respectfully submitted,
HELEN B. BERRY GRACE E. PICKERING, R. N. MARY V. RYAN, R. N.
Health Nurses.
Total
Under fifteen years
4
426
ANNUAL REPORTS
REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL INSPECTION
Somerville, Mass. January 2, 1932.
To the Board of Health,
Somerville, Mass.
Gentlemen :
I herewith present the report of the Department of Med- ical Inspection for the year 1931 including statistics of the Contagious Hospital.
Visits
Scarlet Fever-Each case must be inspected before release from quarantine to see that the condi- tion of the patient is suitable for release
379
Diphtheria-Before patients are released from quar- antine two successive negative cultures must be obtained
119
Contagious Hospital
405
Total number of visits
Contagious Disease Hospital
In Hospital Jan. 1, 1931
Discharged, Well or
Admitted Improved
Dead
In Hospital Jan. 1, 1932
Diphtheria
4
78
75
6
1
Scarlet Fever ..
16
182
182
2
14
Tuberculosis ....
6
16
18
4
0
Miscellaneous ..
0
18
12
4
2
LABORATORY EXAMINATIONS Diphtheria
Negative
Positive
Total
January
145
24
169
February
63
11
74
March
59
2
64
April
65
5
70
May
53
14
67
June
76
79
155
July
50
31
81
August
27
20
47
September
58
30
88
October
71
47
118
November
88
58
146
December
87
36
123
Totals
842
360
1202
903
Disease
427
BOARD OF HEALTH
Tuberculosis
Negative
Positive
Total
January
15
3
18
February
10
2
12
March
5
5
10
April
4
1
5
May
16
1
17
June
17
1
18
July
6
3
9
August
9
1
10
September
8
4
12
October
13
5
18
November
15
2
17
December
17
1
18
Totals
135
29
164
Typhoid
Negative
Positive
Total
January
0
0
0
February
0
0
0
March
1
0
1
April
0
0
0
May
2
0
2
June
1
1
2
July
0
0
0
August
1
0
1
September
2
0
2
October
2
1
3
November
1
0
1
December
2
0
2
Totals
12
2
14
Examinations made for Malaria,
Ophthalmia, Paratyphoid, Gon-
orrhea and Pnuemonia
79
Total Examinations
1459
DIPHTHERIA
On October 2, 1931 the board voted to offer to the residents: of the city the opportunity to immunize their children against diphtheria. As a result of requests of the parents, clinics were established in the public and parochial schools of the city and at the infant hygiene clinics.
The toxin antitoxin produce l by the State Department of Public Health was used and the first inoculations were started on November 24, 1931 and as a result 4,191 school children were treated. The second inoculations were performed on 3,854 school children, and the third on 3,651 school children, being- completed on January 18, 1932.
428
ANNUAL REPORTS
The reduction in the number of inoculations on succes- sive dates was due to children being absent from school or to parents refusing to allow subsequent inoculations made.
At the infants hygiene clinics 196 inoculations were given with toxoid, immunizing 90 children with two inoculations each, the remaining 16 inoculations being among school child- ren who had missed one of the inoculations thru absence at school.
TUBERCULOSIS
During 1931 there were 24 deaths from Tuberculosis in- cluding all forms, 20 of which were of the pulmonary type.
All patients ill with the disease coming to the attention of the board have either been supervised at their homes by the public health nurses, or have been placed in sanatoria when such treatment was needed.
Owing to the long waiting list for the admission of tuber- culosis patients at the State Sanatoria and the delay caused thereby the tuberculosis ward at the Contagious Hospital which was closed on September 1, 1921, on account of the small number of patients, was reopened October 6, 1930, and 16 pa- tients were cared for until October 16, 1931 awaiting their ad- mission to the Rutland Sanatorium or the Middlesex County Sanatorium at Waltham.
The tuberculosis ward at the Contagious Hospital was opened from June 29, 1931 to September 5, 1931, as a Preven- torium for children who were undernourished or lived in fam- ilies where tuberculosis existed.
During this time 99 children were residents at the Pre- ventorium for a total of 1086 days, the average stay being 11 days. Much good was accomplished among these children, marked improvement being observed in their physical condi- tion, and it should be maintained each summer.
INFANT HYGIENE CLINICS
On January 1, 1922, the board with the approval of his Honor the Mayor, assumed the care of the Infant Hygiene Clinics previously maintained by Somerville Chapter of the American Red Cross. These clinics have been held on Thurs- day afternoon at the Bennett School and Friday afternoon at the Bingham School throughout the year. On September 29, 1925, a clinic was established at the Edgerly School and has been held on Tuesday afternoon weekly. An average attend-
429
BOARD OF HEALTH
ance of 47 at the Bingham School, S at the Bennett School and 23 at the Edgerly School has been attained. 520 new ba- bies have been under supervision at the clinics where advice has been given to the mothers by the attending physician, and in many instances the infants have been visited at home by the public health nurses in order that the advice may be properly followed out. This work is unquestionably of great value in conserving the health of new born infants.
Respectfully submitted,
FRANK L. MORSE, Medical Inspector and Bacteriologist.
-430
ANNUAL REPORTS
REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DENTAL HYGIENE
February 8, 1932.
Board of Health,
Somerville, Mass.
Gentlemen :-
In submitting my second annual report for the year 1931 I wish to call to the attention of your Honorable Board the following steps of progress which this department has made.
First, the installation and equipment of an additional clinic at St. Joseph's School has proved to be of great benefit to our regular program as so much work had to be done in that section of the city that it was almost impossible for one clinic to manage all of it. St. Joseph's School which represents prac- tically twenty-two hundred (2200) children, is the largest in- dividual school of our city and could not be properly taken care of by the usual one day a week assignment to the Knapp School Clinic. St. Joseph's Clinic is devoted entirely to the children of that school and we are just beginning now to show some real results in the conditions of the mouths of the child- ren of the primary grades.
Second, by our continued effort and the establishment of the three grade limit, we were able to raise the standard of dental certificates given out to the children from 10% of the previous year to 221/2 % this past year, which goes to show con- clusively that by a systematic program and by grade limita- tion, something can be accomplished if carried out properly.
We have also been able during this past year for the first time in the City of Somerville, to take care of the pre-school children during the summer months so that in September over four hundred (400) children entering the primary grades for the first time were examined and those found in need of treat- ment were recommended to be taken care of at our hospital clinic. Every child whose parents made application for this treatment entered the primary grade free and clear from all oral infections.
With the continued effort of our school dental workers and adhering to our program of the three grade limit which is rec- ommended by all leading State and dental societies we will be
431
BOARD OF HEALTH
able within the next few years to show even greater percent- age of clean and healthy mouths in the children of our schools.
The following table of statistics has been compiled from our records of the amount of work done during the past year.
Respectfully submitted, ANTHONY F. BIANCHI, Supervisor of Dental Hygiene.
Examinations
New patients
Former patients
Emergencies
Number of
children Treated
Number of
teeth filled
Number of
Number of
cleanings
Treatments
Hospital clinic
extractions
Amount of
fees collected
Public Welfare Adults treated
January
......
152
501
162
815
405
432
131
78
57
$58 15
February
155
331
100
586
271
268
82
69
46
47 19
March
..
......
203
494
155
852
432
391
175
83
152
59 40
April
......
211
446
125
782
385
359
161
80
109
51 40
May
..
...
209
455
119
783
405
334
106
79
132
50 15
June
97
306
91
494
212
223
138
34
252
31 95
July
..
8 extractions "
18
September
605
......
.....
October
10,771
62
14
46
122
49
68
6
25
90
5 60
November
291
498
121
910
349
544
112
74
204
1 00
plate repaired Polypi of antrum removed and
curetted
December
203
556
88
847
342
459
171
76
176
58 00
67 extractions
Totals
11,376 1,583
3,601
1,007 6,191 2,850
3,078 1,082
598 1,442
$413 34
171 extractions
Respectfully submitted,
DR. ANTHONY F. BIANCHI,
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