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 1932

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]

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Table: A trained nurse was employed by the Golborne infant welfare centre until October to undertake home nursing of expectant and nursing mothers and infants in the very poor area allocated to that centre. The cases attended and visits paid by the Golborne home nurse during the year are given in the following table:—

A trained nurse was employed by the Golborne infant welfare centre until October to undertake home nursing of expectant and nursing mothers and infants in the very poor area allocated to that centre. The cases attended and visits paid by the Golborne home nurse during the year are given in the following table:—

Cases attended.Visits paid.
Adults2635
Children under 5 years of age213883
Totals239918
Bronchitis2968
Ear discharges630
Minor ailments150669
Measles28116
Totals213883

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MIDWIFERY ARRANGEMENTS.
The borough is well served in this respect. The Queen Charlotte's Hospital authorities
maintain a district nurses' home in Ladbroke Grove, North Kensington, and during the year
members of the staff thereat conducted 746 confinements, of which 610 were in Kensington
homes. The borough council maintain a maternity home with ten beds, the London County
Council have at St. Mary Abbots Hospital 36 beds for the confinement of poor women, and the
Princess Beatrice Hospital in South Kensington has a maternity ward.
The number of confinements dealt with by these three organisations, together with those
taking place in outlying hospitals, leaves but a comparatively small number to be attended by
private doctors and midwives in the homes.
LEGISLATION IN FORCE LOCALLY
Notification of Zymotic Enteritis.
At a meeting of the council on the 15th April, 1924, it was resolved:—
"That this council do, under and pursuant to the provisions of Section 56 of the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, hereby order that Section 55 of the said Act, with respect to the notification of
infectious disease, shall apply in their district to epidemic diarrhoea or zymotic enteritis in the case of
infants up to 5 years of age."
With the information secured by compulsory notification it was possible to take effective steps
in regard to prevention and treatment of the disease, and in 1924 the council approved of a scheme
for this purpose.
A detailed report on notification and treatment of zymotic enteritis will be found on page 53.
Notification of Acute Rheumatism.
The Kensington (Acute Rheumatism) Regulations, 1927, came into force on the 1st October
of that year and operated for a period of three years. During the year 1930 the Minister of Health
renewed the regulations for a further period of three years.
By-law Prohibiting the Fouling of Footpaths by Dogs.
In 1921 the council made a by.law, which was sanctioned by the Home Office, prohibiting
the fouling of footpaths by dogs.
Two officers in the public health department make observations under the by.law, and during
the year 14 breaches of the by.law were reported to the public health committee. Summonses
were taken out and fines of 20s. in two cases, 10s. in seven cases and 5s. in five were imposed.
The number of convictions under this by.law during the past 11 years is 81