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
Battersea 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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62
All cases notified during the year were reported to be cured
without damage to sight.
During 1937 the number of visits paid by district nurses, under
arrangements made by the Council, to cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum
or other inflammatory condition of the eyes of the newlyborn
was 2,288. All cases were kept under systematic supervision
by the Health Visiting staff, and 58 visits were made to the homes
of these and other children suffering from eye affections.
The following table shews the distribution of the cases notified:—
| Sub-Districts. Wards. | Cases. | Births (live). | Rate per 1000 Births. | Year. | Cases. | Births (live). | Rate per 1,000 Births. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N. Battersea | 5 | 1,124 | 4·4 | 1932 | 30 | 2,319 | 12·9 |
| S. Battersea | 7 | 1,020 | 6·9 | 1933 | 16 | 2,263 | 7·1 |
| 1. Nine Elms | 3 | 343 | 8·7 | ||||
| 2. Park | — | 257 | — | 1934 | 23 | 2,154 | 10·7 |
| 3. Latch mere | 1 | 269 | 3·7 | ||||
| 4. Shaftesbury | 1 | 154 | 6·5 | 1935 | 21 | 2,104 | 10·0 |
| 5. Church | 1 | 255 | 3·9 | ||||
| 6. Winstanley | 1 | 246 | 4·1 | 1936 | 29 | 2,128 | 13·6 |
| 7. St. John | 1 | 143 | 7·0 | ||||
| 8. Bolingbroke | 2 | 233 | 8·6 | Mean | 24 | 2,194 | 10·9 |
| 9. Broomwood | 2 | 244 | 8·2 | 1932-36 | |||
| Borough | 12 | 2,144 | 5·6 | 1937 | 12 | 2,144 | 5·6 |
Amending regulations—the Public Health (Ophthalmia Neonatorum)
Amendment Regulations, 1937—were made by the Ministry
of Health during the year. The Regulations require notifications
of this disease to be sent to authorities administering the Notification
of Births Acts instead of, as before, to the sanitary authorities.
The change does not, however, affect the London boroughs.
Erysipelas.
There were 79 cases of Erysipelas notified, 44 of which were
treated in hospital. One death was recorded from the disease
during 1937 in Battersea.
Measles.
In 1937, 550 cases of Measles were notified under the Battersea
(Measles and Whooping-Cough) Regulations, 1922, and 82 additional
cases reported from schools and other sources, making a
total of 632 cases, being 4.4 per 1,000 of the population ; 3 deaths
from the disease were recorded, or 0·02 per 1,000 of the population.
The corresponding figures for 1936 were : cases 2,613, incidence
per 1,000 population 18·0, deaths 23.
Of the 632 cases, 111 were removed to hospital.