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
Kensington 1923
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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(2) London County Council—Dr. A. W. Sikes, Divisional Medical Officer, and
Miss G. M. S. Paddon, District Organiser of the School Care Committees.
(3) Kensington School Care Committees—Miss A. Webster.
(4) Kensington Invalid Children's Aid Association—Miss G. M. Burton and Miss R.
Mar wood..*
(5) Kensington Charity Organisation Society—-Mrs. E. Weber and Miss O. A. Nixon.
(6) Brompton Hospital—Miss L. C. Marx, Lady Almoner.
(7) Kensington Board of Guardians—Councillor Miss A. G. E. Carthew.
(8) Kensington District Nursing Association—Miss E. D. Gibbes.
(9) Kensal House School—Miss C. D. Clay.
(10) London Insurance Committee—Dr. H. H. Mills.
(11) Local Panel Committee—Dr. A. K. Barrett and Dr. A. S. Herbert,
(12) Kensington War Pensions Committee—One representative.
(13) British Red Cross Society—Mrs. R. H. Burne and Miss F. M. Forbes.
(14) British Red Cross Society (Emergency Help Committee)—Councillor Miss C.
Keeling, J.P., and Miss O. A. Nixon.
(15) United Services Fund—Miss M. Pickton.
(16) Ex-officio members—The Medical Officer of Health, Tuberculosis Officer and two
Women Health Officers.
* Miss Marwood, who was a very valuable member of the Committee, died on April 7th, 1924.
PREVENTIVE WORK IN RELATION TO TUBERCULOSIS.
The treatment of tuberculosis is preventive in so far as it cures the patient and renders him
non-infectious to others, but, in addition to this method of prevention, the Council, with a view to
limiting the spread of disease, undertake various other measures, the most important of which may
be briefly referred to here.
Home Visiting.
The number of home visits paid by the Council's Women Health Officers is shown in the following table: —
| Women Health Officers. | total. | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | No. 2 | No. 3 | No. 4 | No. 5 | No. 6 | No. 7 | |||||||||||||||
| Tuberculosis. Pulmonary. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| First Visits | 27 | 28 | 31 | 23 | 37 | 40 | 62 | 248 | |||||||||||||
| Re-Visits | 233 | 216 | 358 | 344 | 65 | 377 | 348 | 1,941 | |||||||||||||
| First Visits | 7 | 13 | 22 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 62 | |||||||||||||
| Re-Visits | 54 | 157 | 170 | 142 | 11 | 11 | 25 | 570 | |||||||||||||
* The total falls short of the total number of cases owing to patients liying in boarding houses, private hotels or
large private residences not being included.
As the housing conditions form such an important element in connection with tuberculosis,
these home visits are of primary importance. The sleeping arrangements are frequently unsatisfactory
and the Women Health Officers always enquire into thern. 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 and the number of occupants, ascertained by the Health Officers on their visits to the homes, is inserted to show the difficulties experienced in securing home isolation in many cases.
| Rooms | No. of Occupants | Cases. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | ||
| 1 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | =29 |
| 2 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | — | - | =49 |
| 3 | — | 3 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 1 | =39 |
| 4 | — | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | =28 |
| 5 | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | = 6 |
| 6 | — | 1 | — | - | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | - | = 1 |
| *152 | |||||||||||||