London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington 1924
The annual report on the health of the Borough for the year1924
This page requires JavaScript
29
Housing conditions form an important element in regard to tuberculosis, and home visits are
of importance in this connection. The steeping arrangements are frequently unsatisfactory and
the Women Health Officers always enquire into them. Wherever possible, desirable alterations
are pointed out and urged upon the family.
The following table giving the number of rooms occupied by the families of definite cases of tuberculosis diagnosed in 1924 by the Tuberculosis Officer and the number of occupants, ascertained by the Women Health Officers on their visits to the homes, is inserted to show the difficulties experienced in securing home isolation in many cases.
| No. of Occupants | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | ||
| Rooms 1 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | =30 Cases |
| „ 2 | — | 12 | 17 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | =57 „ |
| „ 3 | — | 2 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 4 | — | 1 | — | — | =27 „ |
| „ 4 | — | — | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | =12 „ |
| ,, 5 | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | = 6 „ |
| ,, 6 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | = 1 „ |
| ,, 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | = 1 ,, |
| „ 8 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | = 2 „ |
| *136 | |||||||||||||
* This total falls 21 short of the total number of cases owing to patients living in boarding houses, private hotels or large
private residences not being included.
Provision of Bedding for Home Isolation.
It is sometimes found that isolation of the patient in the home is not as satisfactory as it
could be, owing to the inability of the family to provide sufficient bedclothes to allow him to have
a separate bed. In such cases the Council loan beds, bedclothes, etc. if, after enquiry, the
circumstances are suitable.
At the present time there are 12 patients to whom bedsteads and bedding have been loaned
In 4 of these the assistance was given during the past 12 months and the articles loaned in 1924
are as follows:—
Bedsteads 4
Bolsters 4
Pillow-slips 8
Blankets 10
Mattresses 4
Pillows 4
Sheets 12
Quilts 4
Disinfection after Death or Removal to Hospital.
Cases where bedding, etc., was disinfected by steam 119
Number of rooms disinfected 141
Bacteriological Examinations.
Specimens of Sputum submitted by Medical Practitioners for bacteriological
examination at the Lister Institute at the expense of the
Council 208
Sputum Flasks.
These are supplied to patients who are infectious, and advice is given in regard to the disposal
of sputum.