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
Battersea 1913
Report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea for the year 1913
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The Council contribute a donation to the funds of a large
children's hospital in an adjoining district, and in return a large
number of letters are placed at our disposal, which enable the
Medital Officer of Health to have such cases as require medical
or surgical treatment attended to without delay.
In conclusion, it may be said that the infantile mortality work of the Council has been well maintained during the year, as the following summary shows:—
| Total visits paid | 4,709 |
| New Milk Dep6t babies visited | 267 |
| Re-visits to Milk Depðt babies | 1,096 |
| Attendances at weighing-rooms | 156 |
| Infants' weights registered | 3,880 |
| Number of children attending | 783 |
| Notified births visited | 1,178 |
| Re-visits | 1,080 |
| Infant deaths visited | 405 |
| Re-visits | 79 |
| Puerperal fever cases visited | 7 |
| Puerperal fever: re-visits | 5 |
| Ophthalmia neonatorum | 34 |
| Re-visits | 184 |
| Special cases visited | 164 |
| Re-visits for sanitary defects | 44 |
| Intimation notices served | 85 |
| Statutory notices served | 5 |
Senile Mortality.
During the year 1913 in the Borough of Battersea, 631 deaths of persons aged 65 years and upwards were registered. The age distribution of these deaths is set out in the following table:—
| District. | 65 and under 75. | 75 and under 85. | 85 and upwards. | Total over 65. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Battersea | 151 | 85 | 25 | 261 |
| North-West Battersea | 91 | 58 | 9 | 158 |
| South-West Battersea | 118 | 72 | 27 | 212 |
| Borough of Battersea | 855 | 215 | 61 | 631 |
The 631 deaths over 65 were equivalent to 26.6 per cent, of
the deaths at all ages.