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
London County Council 1924
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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48
licensed under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, entailed 1,086 visits by day and
97 by night.
Census of
homeless
persons.
A census of homeless persons in London was taken on the night of Friday
the 15th February, 1924. The area covered extended over the whole of the County,
except the outlying portions, which are not usually the resort of such persons.
The night was cold and fine but had been preceded by a cold wintry day with
some snow. Only 4 persons (all females) were found sheltering under arches or
on staircases. In the streets 61 men and 17 women were found, as compared with
126 men and 11 women in 1923, and 296 men and 76 women at the census taken
shortly before the war in 1914. In the common lodging-houses, 14,165 persons
were accommodated as compared with 13,891 in 1923, and 20,173 in 1914. In
the free shelters and labour homes not licensed, 481 men, 118 women and 13 children
were accommodated as compared with 347 men, 112 women and 14 children in
1923. The number of persons in casual wards on the night in question was 429,
(407 men, 21 women and 1 child), the largest number recorded at any census since
1914. At Rowton Houses, 5,047 men were accommodated and there were no
vacant beds.
Venereal
diseases.
The number of new cases of venereal disease dealt with by the hospitals under
the Council's Scheme during 1924 was 18,281, of which 6,626 were syphilis, 11,350
gonorrhoea, and 305 soft chancre. Comparing these figures with those of the
previous year it will be observed that the total number of new cases dealt with is
725 less than in 1923.
Year.
Syphilis.
Gonorrhœa.
Soft chancre.
Non-venereal.
Total.
1923 7,128 11,563 315 6,644 25,650
1924 6,626 11,350 305 7,292 25,573
Increase +
or decrease — — 502 — 213 —10 +648 — 77
The distribution of the new cases of disease between the sexes is shown in the following table, the figures for the preceding years being given for comparison. It will be seen that in the case of syphilis the figures for 1924 are considerably lower than for several years past.
| Year. | New cases. | Total venereal cases. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syphilis. | Soft chancre. | Gonorrhoea. | ||||||
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | |
| 1917 | 4,427 | 3,351 | 199 | 11 | 3,830 | 1,207 | 8,456 | 4,569 |
| 1918 | 3,764 | 3,002 | 116 | 13 | 4,844 | 1,940 | 8,724 | 4,955 |
| 1919 | 6,394 | 3,391 | 463 | 18 | 10,441 | 2,440 | 17,298 | 5,849 |
| 1920 | 6,988 | 3,579 | 766 | 25 | 10,669 | 2,427 | 18,423 | 6,031 |
| 1921 | 5,088 | 3,100 | 458 | 13 | 8,573 | 2,136 | 14,119 | 5,249 |
| 1922 | 4,207 | 2,600 | 309 | 12 | 8,233 | 2,402 | 12,749 | 5,014 |
| 1923 | 4,497 | 2,631 | 311 | 4 | 9,043 | 2,520 | 13,851 | 5,155 |
| 1924 | 4,174 | 2,452 | 301 | 4 | 8,565 | 2,785 | 13,040 | 5,241 |
Importance is attached to the necessity of securing the regular attendance
of patients at the clinics, more especially in the case of gonorrhoea, and efforts
to secure the requisite provision of facilities for intermediate treatment at times
other than during the hours of the clinics, are meeting with considerable success.
A number of patients still fail to complete the full course of treatment considered
necessary before final discharge, due in no small measure to the false impression that
a cure has been effected on the disappearance of outward signs of the disease. The
need for improving conditions likely to cause patients to discontinue attendance
at the clinics or transfer from one clinic to another continues to receive careful
attention.