London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Holborn 1922
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1922
This page requires JavaScript
75
The number of deaths of young children under two years of age classified
under the head, Diarrhœa and Enteritis, was six, all under one year. Some of
these, however, were not real cases of epidemic diarrhoea, although classified under
this head. The deaths were equal to a rate of 9.0 per 1,000 births in comparison
with 71 for all London.
The methods used to deal with the disease were detailed last year; the most
important perhaps is that during the third quarter of the year, extra visits are
paid to those homes in which epidemic diarrhoea is more likely to occur.
Poliomyelitis.
One case of poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis) was notified. The child was
treated at home and recovered.
Nursing Arrangements.
Nursing arrangements have been made with the Metropolitan Nursing
Association, No. 23 Bloomsbury Square, for the nursing, when required, of
necessitous cases of measles, whooping cough, ophthalmia neonatorum, diarrhoea
and pneumonia.
Their services were used as follows: —
| Whooping Cough | 2 Cases | 19 Visits. |
| Measles | 6 ,, | 80 „ |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 3 ,, | 104 „ |
| Pneumonia | 12 „ | 183 „ |
| Total | 23 Cases | 386 Visits. |
Exchequer Grants for Maternity and Child Welfare Services.
During the year the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee considered the
recommendation of the Geddes Committee on National Expenditure recommending
that the State contribution towards Tuberculosis and Maternity and Child
Welfare work should be on a lump sum basis and not (as now) on a percentage
basis, and suggesting that failing a more satisfactory unit basis for measuring
the grant, the basis of previous expenditure should be adopted while the present
financial stringency continues.
The present method is a percentage grant not exceeding 50 per cent. on
approved expenditure.
It is held that under this system the State cannot forecast its liabilities; that
the system leads to extravagance; that it is not a sound principle; that the more
a local authority spends, the more it would get from the State.
To obtain a grant a detailed estimate of expenditure under the various services
has to be submitted for approval to the Ministry of Herlth, the grant being payable
only on approved services within the limits sanctioned.