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

View report page

Holborn 1930

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Holborn Borough]

This page requires JavaScript

116
Diarrhœa:
Twenty children with simple diarrhoea were seen at 10, John Street, and
eight at Short's Gardens; one child with summer diarrhoea was brought to the
Short's Gardens Centre.
Stillbirths.
During 1930 twenty stillbirths were registered, 16 of which were legitimate.
In all I received information of 22 stillbirths; enquiry as to possible causes
was made in each case.
Six occurred in the private practice of doctors, one in the private practice of a midwife,
five in the extern practice of an institution, and in 10 instances the confinement took place in
hospitals.
Difficult labour was responsible for 11; for all of these a more or less definite reason
can be assigned. In five abnormal presentation occurred; in one the mother's pelvis was
contracted; in two there was abnormality of the umbilical cord; in three there was
abnormality of the foetus, two being abnormally large. Constitutional maternal disorders
appeared to account for six stillbirths; of these toxaemia of pregnancy accounted for three,
prematurity for two, and degeneration of the placenta for another. In three no information
was obtainable, the parents not being traceable.
Illegitimate Children.
The births of 51 illegitimate children were registered; two of these were above
the standard for enquiry; seven lived with both their parents who had a permanent
home together; six with their mothers who worked to support them; five with
their mothers who remained in their parents' home; eight were boarded out with
foster mothers; one was placed in an institution; two died in early infancy; four
were stillborn; 16 children could not be traced, the mother often not having stayed
at the address given for more than one or two nights before the birth of the child.
Dental Treatment.

The following is a summary of the work during 1930 at the Council's Dental Clinic, No. 10, John Street, open on Thursday afternoons for nursing or expectant mothers, and children under five years of age:—

Women.Children.Total.
Number of sessions held505050
Number of new Patients422264
Total attendances24034274
Extractions—
With local anaesthetic77
With general anaesthetic442367
Scaling1818
Fillings—
Simple527
Dentures (including 6 repairs)1919
Advice801191

In three cases where the patients were very poor the dentures were provided
free of charge; contributions towards the cost were required in nine cases and in
seven instances the patients were required to pay the whole cost.