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 1920
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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56
At all the Centres in the town the children are regularly seen
by a doctor. At least once a week all those that really require
medical advice are seen, and all the infants under twelve months
are seen not less often than once a month. It has at times been
difficult to maintain this full service owing to the restrictions of
the staff and the continued growth of the work, but on the whole
the results of the work are as above stated.
At a considerable number of the Centres there are conducted
auxiliary forms of activity, such as the demonstration of good
modern hygienic infant clothing, penny banks, talks to mothers,
etc.
At all the Centres records are kept of both infants and
toddlers.
Provision of Fresh Milk at the Centres.
Milk is supplied under the same system of control as described
in last year's report. The following statement shews the main
details of the supply and the liabilities:—
milk supplied to mothers and infants.
1st April 1920 to 31st March, 1921.
| Supplied to Families. | No. of Quarts. | Received from Families. | Corporation Liability. | TOTALS, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £. | s. | d. | £ | s. | d | £ | s. | d. | ||
| Milk at 3d | 16089½ | 201 | 2 | 4½ | 419 | 13 | 6 | 620 | 15 | 10½ |
| Milk at 6d | 2640¼ | 66 | 0 | 1½ | 68 | 17 | 4 | 134 | 17 | 5½ |
| Milk Free | 10308¾ | — | 437 | 0 | 8¾ | 437 | 0 | 8¾ | ||
| Total number of Quarts supplied | 29038½ | 267 | 2 | 6 | 925 | 11 | 6¾ | 1192 | 14 | 0¾ |
Total Number of Families 356.
Average supplied to fach family, 81 57 quaits.
Average cost of supply to each family, £3 1s. 8½d, (at 9.08d. per quart .
Maternity Hostel.
The Hostel continues to provide to a limited extent one of the
most urgent needs of the town. All cases are admitted by way of
the centres or the ante-natalclinic except emergencies. 325 births
occurred in the institution in 1920 as against 269 in 1919. The
details are given in the subjoined statement. Every month as
many cases have to be refused admission as are taken in. There
is great need for the extension of this work.