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 1941
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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Nursing.—The District Nurses, under contract with the
Council, paid 3,706 visits to 360 cases, of which 169 were patients
suffering- from infectious disease.
The St. Margaret's Day Nursery, which was evacuated on
the outbreak of war, remained at Horsham throughout 1941 and
was used, in common with other evacuated nurseries, for
evacuees selected by a central committee. The Council continued
its financial grant. The premises formerly occupied by the day
nursery were taken over by the Council with a view to establishing
a war-time nursery.
Child Life Protection—47 foster-mothers were still on the
register at the end of 1941, but only 22 of these had nurse-children
(to the number of 26) in their care. The health visitors paid 341
visits to foster-mothers.
Infectious Diseases.
The incidence of infectious disease was higher than in 1940,
this being almost entirely as a result of an increase in measles and
whooping cough, but was below the average of the past five years.
The following table shows the number of cases notified:—
| Diphtheria | 89 | (183) | Pneumonia (acute primary | 122 | (194) |
| Erysipelas | 42 | (57) | |||
| Scarlet fever | 64 | (232) | Pneumonia (acute influenzal) | 22 | (42) |
| Enteric fever | 3 | (5) | |||
| Puerperal fever | 4 | (6) | Whooping cough | 490 | (480) |
| Puerperal pyrexia | 11 | (17) | Measles | 576 | (1080) |
| Meningococcal meninggitis | 31 | (10) | Tuberculosis (all forms) | 166 | (207) |
| Ophthalmia neonatorum | 8 | (22) | 1639 | (2545) | |
| Polio-myelitis, etc. | 3 | (4) | |||
| Malaria | — | (1) | |||
| Dysentery | 8 | (5) |
For the Purposes of comparison, the average number of cases
notified annually in the five years, 1936-40, is inserted in brackets.
Schick Clinic.—The diphtheria immunisation clinic was continued
throughout the year. Its activities were extended as, by
arrangement with the London County Council, children who had
as inoculated by the School Medical Officer, attended for testing
as to immunity. The clinic was attended by 1,346 patients (736
39 and 538 who had been inoculated by school medical officers).
in were found to be immune on primary test, and 835 on test after
inoculation. The increase in the number of attendances may be
due to the national propaganda which included the exhibition of the
film "Defeat Diphtheria."
Tuberculosis.-—Beside 166 cases notified, there were otherwise
reported 30, making a total of 196 new cases.
The Dispensary was carried on throughout the year as in
normal times.
Deaths from tuberculosis numbered 105, of which 18 were of
the non-pulmonary form. Although the number of deaths
attributed to Pulmonary Tuberculosis was lower than that for the