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

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Camberwell 1922

Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1922

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permanent deformities, which may so cripple the child that in after
life it will be found that he cannot support, himself, and consequently
becomes a dead-weight on the community as a whole.
Malaria. —27 cases were notified during the past year, as compared
with 40 in 1921.
Dysentery.—B cases were notified. 4 of these occurred in a
ward of a private institution. The infection was attributed to
a previous case which was admitted from outside the Borough.
Encephalitis Lethargica.—One case was reported and admitted
to hospital. This case was still under treatment at the end of the
year.
No cases of Cholera, Plague, Typhus, Trench Fever, Anthrax.
Relapsing Fever, Glanders, Rabies, or Continued Fever were reported
in 1922.

Ophthalmia Neonatorum.

Notified.Cases treated.Vision unimpaired.Vision impaired.Total Blindness.Deaths.
At Home.In Hospital.
2115621

Ophthalmia Neonatorum
21 cases were notified during the year, the incidence rate being
3-6 per 1,000 births. All the notifications received were from
medical practitioners. It is gratifying to record complete recovery
in every case.
In addition to these, any infant brought to the Infant
Welfare Centre found to be suffering with slight inflammation was
subject to an enquiry from this department, and the facts brought
to the notice of the London County Council.
The need of early treatment of this disease cannot be too strongly
emphasised, and this Council expressed agreement with the views
of another Metropolitan Borough, which suggested that owing to
the undue prevalence of ophthalmia neonatorum the Ministry of
Health be requested to take steps to bring to the notice of medical
practitioners the advisability of the routine application of a suitable
silver nitrate preparation to the eyes of all newly-born children.
Tuberculosis.
653 new cases of tuberculosis were notified during the year.
The deaths of un-notified cases of tuberculosis numbered 83
and the total tuberculosis deaths 341. The ratio of un-notified
tuberculosis deaths to the total tuberculosis deaths being 1 in 4.
The question of the notification of this disease received considerable
attention, and it was recognised that a considerable number
of cases was not being notified before death, and that certain cases