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
Lewisham 1929
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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53
It is the practice for an Officer of the Department to visit
the home of the patient, and offer the services of a Ranyard
Nurse, if, in the circumstances, such nursing appears to be
necessary.
During the year assistance in this direction was provided
for 58 cases, the nurses making 1,272 visits.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
During the year 21 cases of this disease were notified, 10
of which were treated in Hospital.
The result of the cases is set out in tabular form below:—
| Cases. | Results. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notified. | Treated. | Vision Unimpaired. | Vision Impaired. | Total Blindness. | Deaths. | |
| Home. | Hospital. | |||||
| 21 | 11 | 10 | 21 | — | - | — |
Measles.—The number of cases of Measles brought to our
notice during the year was 609. Our information is derived
from the returns supplied by the Head Teachers of the London
County Council Schools.
Five deaths from Measles occurred during the year.
In London, epidemics of measles appear with regularity
every two years. They usually commence in the latter part of
the autumn, and continue for about six months. During the
time of prevalence, the disease tends to become more virulent
as the epidemic increases, and the result is reflected in the
mortality figures, especially among children under 5 years of age.
During the 1927-28 epidemic, 41,477 cases were reported
as occurring among children attending the London County
Council Schools. As measles is a disease specially of preschool
age (2-5 years), it is probable, therefore, that a total
of approximately 100,000 cases occurred in London during the
epidemic period.