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 1921
Sixty-sixth annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington
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1921] 22
Public Health (Pneumonia, Malaria, Dysentery, etc.), Regulations, 1919.
These Regulations came into force on the 7th January, 1919, and during the 3 years the following cases were notified by medical practitioners to the Medical Officer of Health:
| 1921 | 1920 | 1919 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malaria | 8 | 17 | 193 |
| Dysentery | — | 4 | 14 |
| Acute Primary Pneumonia | 47 | 34 | 12 |
| Influenzal Pneumonia | 25 | 22 | 12 |
| Pneumonia | — | 3 | 29 |
| Total | 80 | 80 | 260 |
Acute Encephalitis Lethargica and Acute Polio-Encephalitis.
These diseases became notifiable under an Order of the Local Government Board on
the 1st January, 1919, and during the year 11 cases of Acute Encephalitis Lethargica
were notified, 2 of which proved fatal. No case of Acute Polio-Encephalitis was known in
the Borough.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
Purulent Disease of the Eyes of Newly-born Children.
This inflammatory disease of the eyes of infants was notified in 162 instances, of
which 89 were attended by Doctors and 36 by Midwives ; whilst 31 cases were reported
by the London County Council, and 6 by the Health Visitors ; and as a result 111 cases
were referred to Hospitals for treatment, while 51 were attended to in their homes. Midwives
attended 74 cases, and undertook the care of the infants affected. As the result of
visits by the Health Visitors, the Council provided Nurses in 78 cases at a cost of ₤66 1s. 0d.
This was money well spent, for undoubtedly they have saved many eyes.
The cases occurred in the sub-registration districts as follows:
| Tuffnell. | Upper Holloway. | Tollington. | Lower Holloway. | Highbury. | Barnsbury. | Islington, South-East. | The Borough. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases notified by Doctor | 8 | 10 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 20 | 23 | 89 |
| „ „ Midwife | 2* | 10* | 8* | 10* | 5* | 1* | -_ | 36 |
| „ reported by L.C.C. | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 31 |
| „ „ Health Visitor | — | — | — | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| „ inquired into | 13 | 21 | 26 | 20 | 12 | 35 | 35 | 162 |
| „ treated in Hospital | 6 | 17 | 19 | 13 | 9 | 21 | 26 | 111 |
| „ treated at Home | 7 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 9 | 51 |
| „ attended by Midwife | 5 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 3 | 12 | 9 | 74 |
| * Notifications which were also received from midwives, and had been notified by doctors, are not included. | ||||||||
Of the 162 cases investigated, both of the infants' eyes were affected in 96 instances;
while in 28 cases the right eye was involved and in 29 the left.
Some of the cases had already recovered at the time of visit by the Health Visitors;
whilst in many cases the infants were either in-patients at hospitals, or out-patients receiving
hospital treatment, and in these cases the affected eyes were not examined by the Health
Visitors.