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

Shoreditch 1937

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]

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Table: The obstetric history of the patients is shown in the following table:—Table No. 98

The obstetric history of the patients is shown in the following table:—

Table No. 98

No. of pregnancies01234567891011121314Total.
No. of patients1751493530141512111034311256
No. of children alive01234567891013Total.
No. of patients21614839331313127351256

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The average number of pregnancies was 3.7 and the average number of children
alive per patient was 3.0. The patients who attend this clinic do not on the whole
present any exceptional obstetric history in respect of the total number of pregnancies
and it would appear that if the children play any part in the causation of ill health
in the mothers, they possibly exert their influence not so much through the strain
of child bearing but owing to the economic factors which are induced by the presence
of several children in a poor household.

Table: Medical findings.—In a report of this type a detailed description of the medical findings is unwarranted, but the following brief summary will give some idea of the conditions dealt with during the year:—

Medical findings.—In a report of this type a detailed description of the medical findings is unwarranted, but the following brief summary will give some idea of the conditions dealt with during the year:—

Heart conditions26Debility17
Anæmia79Malnutrition3
Circulatory conditions13Rheumatism9
Chest conditions13Migraine2
Nervous conditions12Other conditions43
Menopausal or allied conditions10No apparent disease22
Diseases of the liver or ducts7

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Of the patients mentioned above three were referred to Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
Hospital, one to St. Bartholomew's Hospital for further examination or for outpatient
treatment, and two were referred to the tuberculosis officer. Three patients
were referred to their own practitioners.
It will be noted that there has been a very definite increase in the number of
cases of anaemia. This is further dealt with in a report by Dr. Aitken which is appended
hereto.