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 1959
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, Metropolitan Borough]
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Disinfesting
Figures set out below show the number of houses, rooms, etc., dealt with after infectious diseases or following complaints of vermin:-
| Cause | Number of cases | Sprayed and Fumigated | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of rooms and contents | Rooms only | Contents only | ||
| Dysentery | 26 | 5 | 1 | 20 |
| Enteric Fever | - | - | - | - |
| Erysipelas | 2 | 1 | - | 1 |
| Measles | 3 | 1 | - | 2 |
| Meningococcal Infection | 2 | 3 | - | - |
| Other diseases | 230 | 9 | 3 | 222 |
| Poliomyelitis | 14 | 13 | - | 3 |
| Scabies | 4 | - | - | 4 |
| Scarlet Fever | 11 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| Tuberculosis | 36 | 27 | 6 | 6 |
| Vermin | 482 | 1 | 918 | 16 |
| Totals | 810 | 65 | 934 | 276 |
Laundry Service for Incontinent Persons
Section 122 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936 enables the Borough
Council to cleanse the bed-linen and clothes of incontinent persons The laundry
service for this purpose has been provided in the Geffen Public Health Annexe
since 1957. The service has proved of great benefit, especially in the nursing
of incontinent elderly persons in their own homes and so avoiding the necessity
of their admission to hospital The laundry is collected and returned twice weekly.
The following table shows the number of persons helped during 1959:-
| Month | Cases | No of Services |
|---|---|---|
| January | 18 | 66 |
| February | 26 | 101 |
| March | 20 | 81 |
| April | 21 | 71 |
| May | 25 | 81 |
| June | 31 | 92 |
| July | 32 | 93 |
| August | 26 | 100 |
| September | 27 | 102 |
| October | 26 | 144 |
| November | 29 | 116 |
| December | 31 | 120 |