London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Fulham 1927

Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1927

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62
she was found to be living with her mother in one room, and
the financial circumstances were hard to understand, as
though apparently there was no income, the mother had
not applied for a renewal of out-relief. The girl herself was
neat and tidy and was able to provide her own outfit for
her time away. When she returned at the end of six months
she found her mother had been removed to a mental hospital,
and that the man who had been partially supporting her
had taken possession of the room and furniture and refused
to give either up.
An aunt was able to put the girl up temporarily and the
Care Committee arranged for her to see a Poor Man's lawyer
through whose aid she obtained possession of her furniture.
The disappointing part of this story is that the girl has not
chosen to keep in touch with us, but has moved away leaving
no address.
C. was a family of small children, only one of whom was
a notified case of tuberculosis. They lived in a four-roomed
house with basement in addition, but owing to the unsatisfactory
state of the building only two rooms were habitable.
The house was reported to the Medical Officer of Health as
insanitary and pressure was brought to bear on the landlord.
In the summer the notified child was not gaining ground
and the London County Council were asked to arrange institutional
treatment for her, which they did by sending her to
Broadstairs. While awaiting a vacancy, however, violent
rains so flooded the house that it became a problem as to
what to do with the other children while repairs were being
done.
The United Services Fund were unable to help as the
father was in full work, but the Charity Organisation Society
very kindly arranged to send all three children into the
country and kept them there till the home was habitable
again. The London County Council also extended the period
of treatment of the fourth child on account of the home conditions,
and through the kindness of a friend the mother
was sent to join her children in the country for the last week.
D. was an ex-service man who had been under the Dispensary
since 1922 and had not been fit for work since 1925.
His pensionable disability was deafness and the family circumstances
were very poor though the home was always
beautifully clean. The wife added to the family income by
charing but had not time to do very much in this way. D.
was finally persuaded to go into hospital where he died in
April, 1927. His wife was thus left to provide for the family
and found daily work, but was much run down through the