London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington 1942
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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Public -Mortuary
The number of bodies taken to the mortuary during
the year was 364. Inquoats were held in 105 cases
Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act 1919
The following table is a record of the rat officers' work for the year:-
| The following table is a record of the rat officers' work for the year:- | |
| No. of complaints received | 362 |
| No. of individual premises visited | 906 |
| No. of visits paid | 2,993 |
| Drainage defects remedied (including defective outlet drains, sewers, missing stoppers to interceptors, etc.) | 269 |
The number of rat complaints received, during the year
showed a marked increase compared with the previous year. Experiments
were undertaken in regard to pre-baiting, a comparatively
recent method evolved for killing rats, and after exhaustive tests
it was used in the borough during the last two months of the year.
The number of rats killed during the year is estimated to be 2,000.
Professional nursing in the heme
On behalf of the borough council, the Kensington
District Nursing Association visited 483 cases, paying 6,019
visits. The total number of cases nursed during the year was
1,244, and the total number of visits paid was 38,925.
Vaccination
There were 707 births reported in 1941 to the
vaccination officer by the Kensington registrars. By the
31st January, 1943, 57.14 per cent. of these had been vaccinated
or were found to be insusceptible to vaccination. The
other 42.86 per cent. were accounted for as follows:-
Statutory declarations of objection 14.43%
Died before vaccination 6.22%
Referred to other districts 12.59%
Removed, leaving no trace 8.35%
Postponed, or unaccounted for 1.27%
(In addition, by the 31st January, 1943, 205 certificates
of successful vaccination had been received in respect of
children living in Kensington who were born outside the Borough
during 1941.)
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE SERVICES
Health Visiting Staff
The work performed by the health visiting staff during 1942 in regard to maternity and child welfare is summarised in the following table:-
| The work performed by the health visiting staff during 1942 in regard to maternity and child welfare is summarised in the following table:- | |
| First visits to infants (0-1 year) | 1,158 |
| Re-visits to infants (0-1 year) | 6,207 |
| Visits to children between 1 and 5 years | 8,562 |
| Stillbirth enquiries | 16 |
| Visits to ophthalmia neonatorum cases | 7 |
| Visits to measles cases | 875 |
| Visits to whooping-cough cases | 484 |
| Visits to puerperal fever cases | 10 |
| Visits to puerperal pyrexia cases | 12 |
| Visits to enteritis cases | 157 |
| Infantile death enquiries | 80 |
| Pre-natal visits | 4,167 |
| Half-days at welfare centres | 1,768 |
| Special visits | 5,100 |