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
St Pancras 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, London, Borough of]
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28
It should never be forgotten that all work for the betterment of the social
and economic conditions of the submerged population, and all the work of the
sanitary staff in promoting cleanliness, better housing conditions, pure milk
supply, etc., has a direct influence in increasing the health and diminishing the
mortality of our child life.
In St. Pancras the direct attack upon infantile mortality, although
largely carried on by voluntary associations, has in the past been mainly
inspired and directed from the Town Hall by the late Medical Officer of Health,
Dr. Sykes.
The work done in the Department during the year has consisted in the
following up of births which have been notified to the Medical Officer of
Health under the Notification of Births Act. The statistics relating to these
notifications will be found on pages 15 and 16.
A printed card of advice on the subject of infant nurture has been sent to
the mother of every child whose birth has been notified. Where the returns
of registered births have shown births which have not been notified, a warning
letter has been sent to the parent pointing out the provisions of the Act in this
respect.
Only a small proportion of the mothers have received personal visits. There
has been available for this purpose only one health visitor (Miss Smith), and
part of her time has been devoted to other work. She has therefore been able
to visit only about one-tenth of the notified births.
The work done is indicated by the following figures : —
| Total births (excluding still-births) registered | 5167 |
| Births (including still-births) notified | 4749 |
| Still-births notified | 145 |
| Advice cards sent to cases notified (on day of receipt of notification) | 4604 |
| Advice cards sent to cases registered but not notified (on receipt of Registrars' returns) | 598 |
| Cautionary letters sent to cases registered but not notified | 598 |
| Visits—No. of births visited | 485 |
| Additional visit | 506 |
| Total visits to mothers | 991 |
| (Of these, number where case was not traced) | 11 |
| Extra visits (to Infant-Consultations, Hospitals, Midwives, etc.) | 485 |
Voluntary Workers.
Very good work is being done at the Infant-consultations, which are conducted
by voluntary societies. At these places the mothers bring up their
babies periodically to be weighed and receive medical advice as to the feeding,
etc., of the infants. They are also visited, where necessary, by the staff of the
Institution, and classes are held at some of the "Welcomes" in hygiene,
cookery, needlework, etc.