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
Croydon 1909
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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101
WORK OF THE HEALTH VISITORS.
The five health visitors have largely been employed in visiting
houses where non-notifiable infectious diseases have been reported
by school teachers, and in generally assisting in the work of medical
inspection. The number of visits paid in connection with this part
of their duty is shown in the following table:—
TABLE E. ix.
| Visits to houses where the following Diseases have been reported. | 1st Visits. | 2nd Visits. |
|---|---|---|
| Measles | 398 | 37 |
| German Measles | 8 | 1 |
| Mumps | 142 | 17 |
| Whooping Cough | 706 | 77 |
| Chicken-pox | 598 | 36 |
| Sore Throat | 677 | 245 |
| Ringworm | 387 | 906 |
| Verminous Heads | 31 | 7 |
| Verminous Bodies | 11 | 2 |
| Impetigo Contagiosa | 385 | 560 |
| Scabies | 33 | 54 |
| Other Diseases | 573 | 311 |
| Totals | 3949 | 2243 |
Cultures taken 1490 —
Visits paid to Elementary Schools 262 —
Number of children prepared for
medical inspection 4804 —
Number of children prepared for
re-inspection 421 —
Visits paid to homes to obtain
further information concerning
children inspected in schools 237 79
Visits paid to the homes of school
children for purpose of giving
advice 537 212
As the number of children seen at the Town Hall has increased,
it has been found necessary to slightly vary the districts allotted to
each health visitor, so that one of the staff may be on duty at the
Town Hall on all occasions when children are presented for special
examination. The general work has also been rearranged, so that
the Senior Health Visitor is responsible to the Medical Officers for
the work of this part of the staff.