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
Stepney 1915
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stepney]
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All the cases were not notified. 252 deaths occurred in 1915, the certificates
of death stating that they had died of Consumption, although they had never
been notified to be suffering from the disease during their life time.
The number of insured persons that received sanatorium treatment by the London Insurance Committee was 135, and were referred to the following institutions for treatment:—
| Sanatoria | 117 |
| City of London Chest Hospital | 9 |
| Brompton Hospital | 3 |
| University College Hospital | 2 |
| Royal National Hospital | 2 |
| Metropolitan Hospital | 1 |
| Royal Sea Bathing Hospital | 1 |
38 non-insured persons were admitted to Sanatoria through the London_County
Council.
Infantile Mortality.
861 infants died under one year of age or 139 less than in the previous year.
215 belonged to the Limehouse District, or at the rate of 128 per 1,000
births;
183 belonged to St. George-in-the-East, or at the rate of 136 per 1,000
births;
327 belonged to Mile End Old Town, or at the rate of 107 per 1,000 births.
136 belonged to the Whitechapel District, or at the rate of 94 per 1,000
births.
The infant mortality for the whole Borough was 114 per 1,000 births,
while that for the whole of London was 111 per 1,000 births.
Maternity and Infant Welfare.
With the object of encouraging the extension of already existing activities, and
the adoption of new measures, annual grants are distributed by the Local Government
Board under the Notification of Births (Extension) Act, 1915, one-half of the
cost of a scheme for maternity and child welfare, approved by the Board. Grants
in aid are made in respect of Clinics, or other institutions concerned with the provision
of medical and surgical advice and treatment, as well as in respect of the
salaries of Health Visitors and other officers engaged for this work.
It has been realised more and more in recent years that a high infant death-rate
does not merely indicate a destruction of the unfit, but also a weakening of those