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
Battersea 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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| Name of Disease. | Age. | Total. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 years. | Over 5 years. | |||||
| Cases. | Visits. | Cases. | Visits. | Cases. | Visits. | |
| Ophthalmia Neon. & other Eye Aff'ns. | 104 | 2,454 | - | - | 104 | 2,454 |
| Measles | 3 | 40 | — | — | 3 | 40 |
| Whooping Cough | 6 | 121 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 127 |
| Diarrhæa & Vomiting | 2 | 7 | — | — | 2 | 7 |
| Chicken Pox | 1 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 11 |
| Mumps | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pemphigus Neonatorum | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pneumonia | 7 | 95 | 41 | 814 | 48 | 909 |
| Influenza | 3 | 17 | 71 | 563 | 74 | 580 |
| Erysipelas | — | — | 2 | 15 | 2 | 15 |
| Totals | 126 | 2,739 | 116 | 1,404 | 242 | 4,143 |
Many of these cases were referred to the Association by medical
practitioners. The total number of visits made by the district nurses
to cases sent by the Council, including those for which no charge is
made, was 3,252.
The cost of the nursing service in 1933 was £138 2s. 0d. as
compared with £151 18s. 0d. in the previous year.
St. Thomas's Babies' Hostel.
The arrangements temporarily made in 1926 with St. Thomas's
Babies' Hostel, with the sanction of the Ministry of Health,
for the provision of facilities for cases sent from the Borough
Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics for test feeding and the encouragement
of breast feeding amongst Battersea mothers, were
continued during 1933.
The results of the year's work have again been satisfactory and
are summarised below:—
A. Test Feeds.
Number of cases, 224, comprising: Mothers, 224;
babies, 231. Number of attendances, 619.
12 of these cases received in-patient treatment.
B. In-Patient Treatment.
Battersea cases received—
9 mothers and 18 babies sent by Council.
2 mothers and 4 babies sent from other sources.
Period of stay.
Cases sent by Council—9 mothers and 18 babies,
1,115 days; average, mothers 30 days, babies 46¾
days.
Other cases—2 mothers and 4 babies, 354 days;
average, mothers 36½
days, babies 70¼
days.