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
Camberwell 1925
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell.
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104
the work and a record of the number of applications received: —
Medical Review.
1924. 1925.
Number of ante-natal examinations 666 745
„ „ abnormalities and diseases requiring treatment
found 36 35
„ „ patients confined —
(a) Normal labour 99 167
(b) Abnormal labour 15 21
„ „ after results of confinement requiring treatment 3 14
„ „ births 116 189
„ „ children born with any abnormality 3 9
„ „ deaths—
(a) Premature 5 1
(6) Still-births 4 8
Bookings Opening Date to December 31st, 1925.
| Medical reasons for Admission. | First Confinement only. | First Confinement & Housing. | Housing Difficulties. | Total Confinements. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 3 |
| 1924 | 3 | 3 | 49 | 59 | 114 |
| 1925 | 6 | 22 | 67 | 93 | 188 |
| Totals | 9 | 27 | 116 | 153 | 305 |
Additional Applications Received.
| Number of Applications. | Admission fee not accepted by patient. | Accommodation not available. | Unsuitable cases. | First Confinement cases. | Housing circumstances cases. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | 5 | 4 | – | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 1924 | 104 | 43 | 48 | 13 | 13 | 91 |
| 1925 | 119 | 25 | 81 | 13 | 20 | 99 |
| Totals | 228 | 72 | 129 | 27 | 34 | 194 |
It will be noticed that the number of applications was
greatly in excess of the number that could be accepted and I
anticipate that the demand for institutional accommodation will
increase as time goes on.
The housing shortage has a distinct bearing on the increasing
desire to be confined away from home, and if, as the result of this
shortage, women are becoming alive to the value of medical
supervision during pregnancy and the advantages of constant
medical and nursing attention at the time of confinement and
during the puerperium, then a good deal more has been accomplished
in the direction of creating an intelligent interest in these
matters than could be hoped for along the ordinary lines of
educational development.