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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 1926

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

Published
1927
Pages
249
Tables
77

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77 tables in this report

  • Page 4
    Table 1.
    Mental hospital.Beds.
    Males.Females.Total.
  • Page 6
    Table 3—continued.
    Males.Females.Total.
  • Page 7
    Table 4.
    Mental hospital.Number contracted for.Charge a head a week provided for in the original contract.Charge a head a week from 1st January. 1927.Date of commencement.Full term of contract.Date of expiry.
    City of LondonM.F.£s.d.£s.d.1st july 1823.Years.
  • Page 7
    Table 5.
    Date.Parish and county patients.Chargeable to Prison Commissioners.Patients on private list, etc., and private patients at Horton.Total.Increase.Decrease.
  • Page 8
    Table 6.
    Date.Lunatics under reception orders in County or Borough mental hospitals.Lunatics in M.A.B. mental hospitals.Lunatics in workhouses or with relatives and friends.Total number of lunatics.Annual increase or decrease of
    Lunatics under reception orders.Total number of lunatics.
    1st January—(i.)(ii.)(iii.)(iv.)(v.)(vi.)
    IncreaseDecreaseIncreaseDecrease
  • Page 9
    Table 7.
    1916-171917-181918-191919-201920-211921-221922-231923-241924-251925-261926-27
  • Page 10
    23. Statistics as to recoveries and readmissions during the past 32 years are as follows :— Table 8.
    Mental hospital.Patients discharged "recovered" between 1895 and 1926.Number of such patients readmitted to any London mental hospital up to 31st March, 1927.Percentage of readmissions in col. (ii) to discharges "recovered" in col. (i).Number of patients in col. (i) readmitted to any London mental hospital within twelve months of their discharge up to 31st March, 1927.Percentage of readmissions in col. (iv) to discharges "recovered " in col. (i)
    (i.)(ii.)(iii)(iv.)(v.)
  • Page 10
    Table 9.
    Hospital.Admissions—1926.Total number under treatment, 1926.
    Direct.IndirectTotal.
    (i.)(ii.)(iii.)(iv.)
    M.F.Total.M.F.Total.M.F.Total.MF.Total.
  • Page 11
    Table 10.
    Hospital.Recovered.To care of friends on undertakings under sec. 79 of the Lunacy Act, 1890.Relieved or not. improved, otherwise than under col. ii.Total discharges.Died, 1926.
    (i.)(ii.)(iii.)(v.)
    M.F.Total.M.F.Total.M.F.Total.(iv.)M.F.Total.
  • Page 11
    Table 11.
    Hospital.Remaining on registers 31st December, 1926. (i.)Average daily number on registers, 1926. (ii.)Percentages of recoveries on total admissions, 1926. (iii.)
    M.F.Total.M.F.Total.M.F.Total.
  • Page 11
    Table 12.
    Hospital.Percentage of total recoveries on direct admissons, 1926. (i.)Percentage of recoveries yielded by direct admissions on the direct admissions. (ii.)Percentage of deaths on average daily number on registers, 1926. (iii.)
    M.F.Total.M.F.Total.M.F.Total.
  • Page 12
    Table 13.
  • Page 13
    Table 14.
    Date, 1st January.Chargeable to the County.Chargeable to London boards of Guardians and the County.Date, 1st January.Chargeable to the County.Chargeable to London boards of Guardians and the County.
  • Page 14
    Table 15.
    Admission of patients with previous military service.Patients classified as "service" patients during the year.Discharged or transferred after classification as "service" patients.No. died."Service" patients remaining at 31st March, 1927.
    Under section 91 of Army Act.Under summary reception orders.Transferred from other mental hospitals.
  • Page 24
    102. The income and expenditure on maintenance account upon mental hospitals, etc., during the year ended 31st March, 1927, is shown in the following table in comparison with the amounts for the previous ten years :—
    Year ending 31st March.Income.Expenditure.Year ending 31st March.IncomeExpenditure.
    ££££
  • Page 26
    8. The cases of whom the Council received information during the year ended 31st December, 1926. were :—
    Source of information.
    Miscellaneous sources.London Association for the (are of the Mentally Defective.Education authority.Poor-law authorities.Charged with offences before a court of criminal jurisdiction (Sec. 8).Criminal cases.Industrial schools (Sec. 9).Total.
    Prisons (Sec. 9).
  • Page 30
    29. The class of patient received and the charges1 made for maintenance were:—
    Institution.Religion.Class of defective received.Charges.
    By contract.Supplemental payments.
    Maintenance (a week).Burials.Outfits.Maintenance a week)Burials.Outfits.
  • Page 31
    Continued from previous page...
    Institution.Religion.Class of defective received.Charges.
    By contract.Supplemental payments
    Maintenance (a week).Burials.Outfits.Maintenance (a week)Burials.Outfits.
  • Page 36
    68. The following statement shows for the year ended 31st December, 1926, bow the Council discharged the duty of making recovery, where possible, of such contributions as were available in relief of the expenses of maintaining defectives in institutions or under guardianship:—
    (1) Cases under contribution.(2) Total sura accrued.(3) Total sura collected.(4) Percentage of (3) to (2).(5) Sura written off.(6) Sum outstanding.
  • Page 36
    69. Legal proceedings had to be taken during the year for the recovery of payment from persons liable to contribute with the following result:—
    In 14 cases, orders made to pay amounts totalling:—4 cases adjourned upon undertaking to pay being given.In 2 cases, amounts paid at Court before proceedings, totalling :—1 case adjourned, contributor unemployed.
  • Page 37
    70. The following statement furnishes some interesting particulars as to London cases to whom leave of absence from certified institutions has been granted with a view to ultimate discharge.
    Nome of institution.On leave of absence on 1/1/20.Granted leave of absence during 1926.No. of licences revoked during 1926.No. of cases on licence whose orders were discharged during 1926.No. of cases on licence transferred to guardianship.Died whilst on leave during 1926.No. of cases still on licence on 31/12/26.
  • Page 37
    Sources from which information has been received of cases of alleged mental defect.
    Source of information.Period.
    From 1.4.1914 to 31.12.1926.During 1926 only.
    London Association for the Care of the Mentally Defective86595
  • Page 37
    (a) Position at 31st December, 1926, with regard to the 8,058 oases referred to in the first column of the preceding table—
  • Page 38
    Continued from previous page...
  • Page 39
    Financial statement showing the cost of administration of the Mental Deficiency Act during the year ended 31st March, 1927.
  • Page 40
    Return of expenditure (and cost per head) during the financial year ended 31st March, 1927, on maintenance of defectives at institutions provided by the Council.
    Heading.Cost per patient weekly.
    Brunswick House.South Side Home.Tho Manor.farmfield.
  • Page -
    The births in London during 1926 numbered 78,825 as compared with 82,401 in the preceding year. The birth-rate was 17.1 per thousand as against 17.9 in 1925, and 18.6 in 1924. The decrease in the number of London births is shown in the following table:—
    Period.Average annual births.
  • Page -
    The following table, which is a continuation of a similar table which has appeared in recent annual reports, is presented for purposes of comparing the number of cases of smallpox in London and the rest of the country in the past sixteen years:—
    Year.England and Wales (including London).London.
    Cases.Deaths.Cases.Deaths.
  • Page -
    In order to illustrate the effect of this decrease in case-mortality, the deaths which would have occurred on the rate of the preceding seven years is compared with the actual deaths in 1923-26 in the following table:—
    Year.Cases notified.Calculated deaths (7.42 per cent.)Actual deaths.Reduction in deaths due to decreased case-mortality.
  • Page -
    Table of age incidence (actual cases).
    Age periods.Under 3.3-5.5-10.10-20.20-30.30-40.40- 50.50-60.Over 60.Total.
  • Page -
    Table of yearly prevalence (notified cases).
    Year.1914.1915.1916.1917.1918.1919.1920.1921.1922.1923.1924.1925.1926.
  • Page -
    Age and sex distribution of incidence and mortality (1919-1925.)
    Age periods.0-55-1010-1515-2020-2525-3535-4545-5555-6565-7575 & overTotals
  • Page -
    Sequelœ.—An account of the sequelae of encephalitis lethargica appeared in the annual report for 1925 (p. 109). In order to show the effects of the disease in the year 1926 upon those who survived attacks during the seven-year period 1919-1925, the following table is presented:—
    Notified.Non-notified.
    Under 16 years.Over 16 years.Total.Under 16 years.Over 16 years.Total.
  • Page -
    Vital statistics for the several metropolitan boroughs and the County of London in the year 1926. (Rates per 1,000 of civil population.)
    Metropolitan boroughs. (Arranged in topographical order.)Estimated civil population, 1926.Births.Deaths.Infant mortality (per 1,000 births).MeaslesScarlet fever.Diphtheria.Whoop ing cough.Typhoid fever.Diarrhœa and Enteritis, age 0-2 (per 1,000 births).Phthi sis.Pneumonia.Bronchitis.Cancer.Cases of notifiable Infectious disease. (a)
    Scarlet fever.Diphtheria.Ty phoid fever.Erysipelas.Puerperal fever (per 1,000 births).Cerebrospinal fever.Acute pneumonia.
  • Page -
    COUNTY OF LONDON. Statistics of the administrative work carried out during the year 1926.
    Sanitary Authority.Cowsheds.Slaughterhouses.Offensive Trades.Smoke nuisances.Common lodging houses.Cleansing of persons and rooms.Water supplyMilk-shops.Ice cream premises.Restaurants and Eating Houses.
    No. licensed.No. of inspections.No. licensed.No. of inspections.No. lioensed.No. of inspections.Observations.Complaints.Notices.Houses licensed.Authorised lodgers.Persons.Rooms or premises.Tenement houses extra supply.No. on register.No. of inspections.No. on register.No. of inspections.No. of places.No. of inspections.
    Adults.Children.After infectious diseases.For vermin.
  • Page -
    Persons cleansed (figures abstracted from local reports).
    Borough Council.1907.1908.1924.1925.Borough Council.1907.1908.1924.1925.
  • Page -
    The subjoined Table shows the number of sanitary officers and health visitors Sanitary employed by the sanitary authorities in London :— Officers
  • Page -
    Borough.No. of houses.No. of houses inspected.No. of notices served.No. of houses repaired or nuisances remedied under P.H. Act.No. of houses repaired under Section 3 of Housing Act.Underground rooms.Overcrowding.Houses let in lodgings.No. of houses closed by owner.No. of houses for the working classes.Houses unfit for habitation.
    In borough.Occupied by the working classes.Complaints or illness.House to house.Under P.H. Act.Under Housing Act.Representations.Closing orders.Demolition orders.
    No. illegally occupied.No. closed or otherwise remedied.Instances found.No. remedied.No. on register.No. of inspections.Erected during year.In course of erection.No. made.No. of houses.No. made.No. determined.No. made.No. of houses demolished.
    Intimation.Statutory.
    By owners.By L.A.In pursuance of orders.Voluntarily.
  • Page -
    Another point worthy of note is the total number of examinations made of pathological specimens. Comparative figures for the ten years are shown in the following Table :—
    Year.Pathological examinations.
    For treatment centres.For private practitioners.
  • Page -
    Tuberculosis Dispensaries—Analysis of Returns, Jan.-Dec., 1926.
    Borough and Dispensary.On Dispensary Register, 1-1-26.Transferred during 1026 from other areas and lost sight of cases returnedExamined for first time during 1926. (a) New eases excluding contacts. (b) Contacts (printed in italics).Total number (including contacts) under dispensary supervision during 1926.Removed from Dispensary Register during 1926.On Dispensary Register on 31-12-26.Total attendances.Visits to homes for dispensary purposes byNo. of specimens of sputum examined.
    Diagnosis completed.Under observation.Pulmonary.Non-Pulmonary.Doubtfully Tuberculous.Non-1 Tuberculous.Total.(o) Cured. (») Diagnosis not confirmed or non-T.B. (printec in italics)(«) Transferred to other areas or lost sight of. «>) Died (printed in italics).Diagnosis completed.Under Observation.
    Adults.Children.Adults.Children.Adults.Children.Adults.Children.Adults.Children.Tuberculosis Officer.Dispensary Nurse.
  • Page -
    Continued from previous page..
  • Page -
    Table I. Showing mean daily radius of visibility during the respective months of the period September, 1923, to August, 1926. The observations were made at midday from the Flêche of the County Hall.
    Spring.Summer.Autumn.Winter.
    Starch.April.May.June.July.August.Sept.Oct.Nov.Dec.Jan.Feb.
  • Page -
    Table II. Showing mean of the time, in seconds, required to produce a standard tint, using Watkins “Bee” meter. The means are based on daily observations made at mid-day with a north exposure, and are those of the respective months during the period September, 1923 to August, 1926.
    Spring.Summer.Autumn.Winter.
    March.AprilMay.June.July.August.Sept.Oct.Nov.Dec.Jan.Feb.
  • Page -
    Table III. Showing the mean of the daily deposit as recorded by Dr. Owen’s Automatic Filter Recorder during the respective months of the period September, 1923, to August 1926.
    Spring.Summer.Autumn.Winter.
    March.April.May.June.July.August.SeptOct.Nov.Dec.Jan.Feb.'
  • Page -
    Dental conditions found at medical inspection in children at age 12.
    1913.1917.1921.1925.1926.
    123123123123123
  • Page -
    Reinspections in 1926. 1st Reinspections.
    Class of ailment and number of cases reinspected.Attended by doctor.Treated under Council's scheme.Treated at other hospitals.Not treated, but recovered.Not treated. Improved. (For observation only).Not treated. Still needing treatment.
    Cured.Not cured.Cured.Not cured.Cured.Not. cured.
  • Page -
    2nd Reinspections.
    Class of ailment and number of cases reinspected.Attended by doctor.Treated under Council's scheme.Treated at other hospitals.Not. treated, but recovered.Not treated. Improved. (For observation only).Not treated. Still needing treatment.
    Cured.Not cured.Cured.Not cured.Cured.Not cured.
  • Page -
    The following are the statistics relating to work done under the new scheme from 1st January to 31st December, 1926, distinguishing between children suffering from otorrhœa and purely deaf children.
    Otorrhœa.Purely deaf children.
    Patients.Ears.Patients.Ears.
  • Page -
    The table below shows a complete analysis of the work done:—
    Total cases.Cured.Lapsed.Sent to hospital.Still under treatment.
    Causes of suppuration.
  • Page -
    Continued from previous page...
    Causes of suppuration.Total cases.Cured.Lapsed.Sent to hospital.Still under treatment.
  • Page -
    The head master of Bow Road open air school, which has been in existence for five years, has supplied the following tables showing the length of stay of children at this school in periods which are multiples of six months.
    Time in the school.Number of children.
  • Page -
    "Another valuable table, especially in its lower lines is that showing the lengths of time the children who are now in the school (and therefore not yet certified fit) have been in attendance. It will be seen that we have 27 children who have been in the school more than three years."
    Time in the school.Number of children.
    Admitted less than 6 months ago32
    ;; between 6 months and 12 months ago50(Accommdation increased 30 places 4/26
  • Page -
    Boys.
    Age.Temperament.Distance ofa.b.from middle line.Pulse rate before race.Pulse rate after race.Pulse 2 min. after race.Distance in lengths.Time and nature of meal.
  • Page -
    Girls.
    Age.Temperament.Skin.Distance of A.B. from middle line.Pulse rate before race.Pulse rate after race.Pulse 2 min. after race.Distance.
  • Page -
    The following table shows the numbers of actual cases of infectious diseases reported by head teachers as occurring amongst school children during 1926, compared with figures for the preceding four years:—
    Disease.Diphtheria.Scarlet fever.Measles and German measles.Whooping cough.Chicken pox.Mumps.Scabies.Ophthalmia.Ringworm.
  • Page -
    Diphtheria in London.
    Quinquennium.1912—16. 1917—21.1922—26.
  • Page -
    Deaths.
    Quinquennium.MeaslesWhooping cough.Diphtheria.Scarlet fever.
  • Page -
    Numbers of cases of measles reported by head teachers:—
    School medical division and metropolitan boroughs.Nov., 4 weeks.Dec., 5 weeks.Jan., 4 weeks.Feb., 4 weeks.March, 4 weeks.April, 5 weeks.Total, 26 weeks.Approximate rate per 1,000 children in average attendance (1924-25).Rate per 1.000 above or below mean for London.
  • Page -
    As a consequence of the greater attention to these matters in recent years, the mortality due to measles has been greatly reduced, although the incidence has remained practically stationary, as the following table demonstrates:—
    Quinquennium.No. of cases reported among school children.No. of deatlis (all persons).
  • Page -
    The following table shows the amount of work done by the nurses during the 17 school weeks the procedure was in force, and the results obtained:- Measles Scheme—17th November, 1925, to April, 1926 = 17 school weeks (approx.).
    Division.Schools at which scheme in force.Hours devoted to measles work.Definite cases excluded and reported to M.O.H.Suspicious cases excluded.No. of cases in col. (5) later proved to be measles.No. of absentees reported to D.S.Absentees in col. (7) proved definite cases of measles.
    (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)
  • Page -
    Cases under observation during 1926. (Excluding cases dealt with at the Northern Hospital, Winchmore-hill.)
    Whether notified.Total No. of cases.Classification of sequelæ.
    Mental.Conduct.Parkinson.Excito-motor.Paralysis.Sleep.Miscellaneous.Subnormal.Apparently normal.
  • Page -
    Cases dealt with at the M.A.B.'s Northern Hospital, Winchmore Hill.
    Admissions and discharges.Councils cases.Guardians' cases.Total.
    M.F.Total.M.F.Total.M.F.T otal.
  • Page -
    The following table shows the average mental ages of children admitted for each chronological age, arranged in three-year groups. From this it will be seen that the standard has remained practically constant in the last nine years:-
    Chronological age.Mean mental age.Chronological age.Mean mental age.
    1918-19-20.1921-22-23.1924-25-20.1918-19-20.1921-22-23.1924-25-26.
  • Page -
    Placed by the Association.Placed by other means.Total.
    Blind.Deaf.Crippled.Wind.Deaf.Crippled.
  • Page -
    Examinations of employees in the Education Service and Scholars. The following table shows the number of persons who submitted themselves for examination during the year. These comprise entrants to the permanent service and candidates for the award of scholarships.
    Status.Number examined.Number fit.Number rejected.Number who withdrew after being referred for remediable defects or who were not due for reexamination until after the end of the vear.
  • Page -
    The subjoined table shows in percentages the results from the early age group compared with those of the subsequent groups:—
    After-history.Date of onset.
    Early group (within 5 years).Other groups (from 5 years to 40 years).
  • Page -
    TABLE I. Medical Inspections, 1926. (a) ROUTINE INSPECTIONS. (6) OTHER INSPECTIONS.
  • Page -
    TABLE II . (a) Defects found at Medical Inspections in 1926. ELEMENTARY AND SPECIAL SCHOOLS.
    Disease or Defects.Routine inspections.Special inspections.
    Defects.Defects.
    Requiring treatment.Requiring observation.Requiring treatment.Requiring observation only.
    E.S.S.S.E.s.s.s.
  • Page -
    Continued from previous page...
    Disease or delect.Routine inspections. Defects.Special inspections. Delects.
    Requiriug treatment. E.S. S.S .Requiring observation. E.S. S.S.Requiring treatment.Requiring observation only
  • Page -
    (b) Children found at routine medical inspection to require treatment (Excluding Uncleanliness AND Dental disease).
    Age group.Inspected.Found to require treatment.Percentage requiring treatment.
  • Page -
    TABLE III. Exceptional Children in London in 1926.
    BLIND (including partially blind)—-Boys.Girls.Total.
  • Page -
    Continued from previous page...
    Deaf—continued.Boys.Girls.Total.
  • Page -
    TABLE IV. Defects treated during 1926.
    Disease or defect.Defects treated or under treatment.
    Under Council's scheme.Otherwise.Total.
  • Page -
    Group II.—Defective Vision and Squint (excluding eye defects treated as Minor Ailments, Group I.).
    Defect or disease.Defects dealt with.
    Under Council's scheme.Otherwise.Total.
  • Page -
    Group III.—Treatment of Defects of Throat and Nose.
    Received operative treatment.Received other forms of treatment.Total number treated.
    Under Council's scheme.Private practitioner or hospital.Total.
  • Page -
    Group IV.—Dental Defects. 1) Number of children who were—
    (a) Inspected by the Dentist—Age Groups—
  • Page -
    The following table gives particulars of licensed slaughterhouses, knackers Offensive yards and registered offensive businesses:— businesses.