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

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Lambeth 1923

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

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individual class room or class rooms. There is no interference with
medical treatment by the Council's Officers, but medical attendance
is advised in all cases, and nursing, free of cost, is provided by the
Council in suitable cases as required under the Lambeth Nursing
(Infectious Diseases) Scheme.
Puerperal Sepsis or Fever.
Much attention is being paid to this disease, it being felt that,
as a preventive disease, it should be non-existent. 48 cases (8
deaths) were notified, 15 connected with abortions and miscarriages
and 33 out of 8,443 total births notified-a comparatively small
percentage, especially having regard to the large lying-in Institutions
and Maternity Departments of Hospitals that exist in the Borough.
At the same time, this comparatively small number (48) is above
the averages (yearly) for the decennia 1891-1900 (18.9), 1901-1910
(17.0), and 1911-1920 (21.8), due to more exact notification and
diagnosis and having regard to the fact that septicaemia following
miscarriages and abortions (at all stages) are now notifiable as
well as septicaemia arising after the births of viable infants.
Lambeth Nursing (Infectious Diseases) Scheme.
Nursing in connection with Measles, German Measles, Whooping
Cough, Ophthalmia Neonatorum (and other forms), Epidemic
Diarrhoea, Influenza, acute primary and influenzal Pneumonia, and
certain other infectious diseases (epidemic Cerebrospinal Meningitis,
acute Polio-Myelitis and Polio-Encephalitis and acute Encephalitis
Lethargica, etc.).
The arrangements which were made by the Council with wellknown
Nursing Associations for the nursing, free of cost, of patients
notified or otherwise reported to be suffering from Measles and
German Measles, Whooping Cough, Ophthalmia Neonatorum (and
other forms), Influenza, acute Pneumonia (primary and influenzal),
Epidemic Diarrhoea, etc., if (and as) required by the Medical Officer
of Health, and which came into force on June 1st, 1918, in connection
with the old Inner Wards of the Borough, and on June 1st,
1919, in connection with the old Outer Wards of the Borough
have proved a success. During 1923, this arrangement has proved
again a success as in the previous 3 years. The following statistics
for 1920-1923, setting out the total numbers of visits paid by
nurses, speak for themselves :-measles and German measles, 728,
206, 722 and 297 ; whooping cough, 255, 273, 488 and 400 ; ophthalmia
neonatorum (and other forms), 2,341, 1,764, 986 and 1,093;
epidemic diarrhoea, 57, 232, 5 and 36 ; influenza, 343, 332, 474
and 249 ; acute primary and influenzal pneumonia, 1,870, 2,643,
3,586 and 3,333; other diseases, 114, 11, 16 and 186; making
totals of 5,708, 5,461, 6,277 and 5,594 visits paid during the years
1920, 1921, 1922 and 1923 respectively.
Of the total visits (5,594) paid during 1923, 2,904 were visits
to children under 5 years of age, i.e., 51.9 per cent., dealing with
measles and German measles, 287 ; whooping cough, 283 ; ophthalmia
neonatorum (and other forms), 1,093 ; epidemic diarrhœa, 36 ;
acute primary and influenzal pneumonia, 1,033 ; other diseases. 92.