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
Wandsworth 1904
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth, Metropolitan Borough]
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76 Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
A depot was started in St. Helen's in 1901, and since Liverpool
and Battersea have established similar depots.
The infantile death-rate in this Borough and in other towns is shewn in the following Table prepared by the Medical Officer of Health—
| 1901. | 1902. | 1903. | 3rd Quarter, 1904. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Deaths under 1 Year to 1,000 Births. | Death-rate from Diarrhœa per 1,000 of Population. | Deaths under 1 Year to 1,000 Births. | Death-rate from Diarrhœa per 1,000 of Population. | Deaths under 1 Year to 1,000 Births. | Death-rate from Diarrhœa per 1,000 of Population. | Deaths under 1 Year to 1,000 Births. | Death-rate from Diarrhœa per 1,000 of Population. |
| Liverpool | 188 | 1.95 | 163 | 94 | 159 | .98 | 320 | 8.84 |
| Manchester | 199 | 1.85 | 152 | .53 | 169 | .89 | 242 | 4.44 |
| Sr. Helen's | — | — | 167 | .74 | 142 | .78 | 256 | 5.64 |
| Battersea | 138 | 1.20 | 135 | .56 | 164 | .53 | 194 | 3.25 |
| WANDSWORTH ... | 133 | .67 | 126 | .39 | 110 | .39 | 185 | 2.79 |
The Committee visited the depot in Battersea, and has carefully
considered the results of their enquiry.
It appears that about 400 applicants are supplied daily therefrom,
but that most are not of the poorest class, except those children in
homes under the Infantile Life Protection Act, and in Infirmaries
where they are under some supervision. During the hottest weather,
when the ministrations of the depots would be most valuable, the
number of persons supplied amounts only to about 200. Further,
there is an annual loss of over £200. This Committee is satisfied that
an endeavour is being made to, in some way, benefit the children who
may be expected to be wanting such help, but the question that arises
is whether this method is the best or most practical; whether it is the
cause of any lessened mortality; or, indeed, whether it is anything but
a supply of guaranteed milk sold at the average cost to consumers,
and at a loss to the ratepayers.
There can be no doubt that any scheme for guaranteeing the
quality of milk generally would be advantageous, but, short of keeping
herds of cows, the usual method of careful and frequent analysis of
milk and prosecution of defaulters seems all that can be done.