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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Care of aged and infirm persons
During the year, one of the Council's medical officers
made 63 visits to 40 persons reported to the department as old,
infirm or otherwise unsatisfactory and living in insanitary
conditions.
Twenty-one cases voluntarily entered hospital and
arrangements were made for two cases to enter suitable hostels.
One man died after refusing to leave his home in the ambulance
which came to take him to hospital and before a court order for
his removal could be obtained. In two cases, court orders
were obtained and the persons were removed compulsorily to an
institution. In the remaining fourteen cases no action was
deemed necessary by the medical officer.
Medicinal Baths (Personal Cleansing Station).
The record of work done is as follows:-
| Scabies | Vermin | Impetigo | Other conditions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons | Cleansings | Persons | Cleansings | Persons | Cleansings | Persons | Cleansings | |
| Adults | ||||||||
| Kensington Other boroughs | l077 | 2983 | 169 | 179 | — | — | 17 | 29 |
| 986 | 2715 | 113 | 116 | — | — | 6 | 6 | |
| School Children. | ||||||||
| Kensington Other boroughs | 778 | 3916 | 2005 | 2019 | 181 | 796 | 19 | 49 |
| 328 | 1088 | 291 | 291 | 26 | 74 | 5 | 15 | |
| Children under 5. | ||||||||
| Kensington Other boroughs | 369 | 1095 | 77 | 82 | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| 210 | 598 | 11 | 12 | — | — | — | — | |
| Refugees | 81 | 301 | 228 | 228 | — | — | — | — |
| Compulsory Cleansings | — | — | — | 474 | — | — | — | — |
| Totals | 3829 | 12696 | 2894 | 3401 | 207 | 870 | 48 | 100 |
Bathing of school children
The personnel of three of the first aid posts,under
the supervision of the health visitors continued to give free
baths to school children in the gas cleansing stations attached
to the posts.
The number of baths given was 11,432. Twenty-two
children found to be suffering from scabies and 92 children with
verminous heads were referred to the Council's cleansing
station for treatment.