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
Islington 1916
Sixty-first annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington
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17 [1916
INFANT WELFARE WORK.
On the 8th June, 1916, the Council appointed two Health Visitors who
subsequently commenced their work in August last. The duties primarily
undertaken by them was in connection with the investigation of the cases of
Measles notified under the General Order of the Local Government Board,
and of notified cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum (Purulent disease of the
Eyes); also in making inquiries respecting deaths of infants from Diarrhæa.
Enquiries have also been made in many cases of Births notified to the Medical
Officer of Health, with satisfactory results; while periodical attendances at the
Voluntary Welfare Centres in the borough have enabled them to keep in touch
with the Infant Care work that is now very efficiently performed by these
useful agencies.
The appended statement gives a summary of the work of the Health Visitors from 8th August to 30th December, 1916.
| Miss KEYS. | Miss HUGHESDON. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measles (notifications) | 247 | 272 | 89 | 99 |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum (notifications) | 22 | 25 | 8 | 21 |
| Diarrhoea (infant deaths) | 15 | 20 | 6 | 11 |
| Chicken Pox (notification) | 1 | 1 | ||
| Births (notified) | 26 | 38 | 171 | 339 |
| Do. (not notified) | 167 | 51 | 86 | 57 |
| Complaints (re Welfare of Infants) | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Other investigations | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Visits to Welfare Centres | 11 | 12 | ||
| Do. to Schools | 3 | 4 | ||
| Totals | 485 | 428 | 364 | 550 |
| Measles discovered by Health Visitor | 34 | 4 | ||
| Do. (deaths from) visited | 4 | |||
| Close Contacts. | Other Contacts. | Close Contacts. | Other Contacts. | |
| Measles Contacts | 246 | 198 | 55 | 74 |