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 1940
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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Number of dwelling-houses in which defects were remedied after service of formal notices—
| Number of dwelling-houses in which defects were remedied after service of formal notices— | |
| (i) By owners (1,764 intimation notices complied with) | 1,474 |
| (ii) By Local Authority in default of owners | 3 |
| Number of separate tenements or underground rooms in respect of which Closing Orders were made (in 1 house) | 2 |
| Overcrowding— | |
| (a) New cases reported during the year | 14 |
| (b) Cases relieved during the year | 18 |
| (c) No. of cases on register at the end of the year | 1,140 |
| Housing accommodation provided by the London County Council for Battersea families | 465 |
Staff.
The appointment of Dr. Shirlaw (recorded in the annual report
for 1939) was extended by the Council in January and July for
further periods expiring in February, 1941, but the proportion of
his time taken up with public health duties was reduced to onefourth
instead of one-half as before.
Mr. P. Bracking, Grade A Clerk, in the general office of the
Health Department, entered the Royal Air Force in November.
It is with regret that I have to report the following deaths
among the staff of the Department:—
Mr. C. A. Hackman, F.I.c., Public Analyst, on 12th
December. During the first quarter of 1940 Mr. Hackman's
duties were performed (owing to his absence through illness) by
his partner, Mr. A. H. Mitchell Muter, f.i.c., who had been
appointed public analyst for the purpose. Mr. Hackman returned
to duty in April, but in October he wrote saving that his
convalescence had proceeded but slowly, and that his doctor insisted
that he should leave London for a time, and asking the
Council to appoint his partner, Mr. J. E. Woodhead, an additional
Public Analyst for the Borough.
The Council did so, but Mr. Hackman's illness proved fatal
before the end of the year. He had held his office since June,
1922, and was a highly esteemed and competent Public Analyst.
The appointment was not filled until early in 1941.
Miss M. H. Wilkie, health visitor, who came into the service
of the Council when the work of the Battersea School for Mothers
was taken over by the Council in 1935. Miss Wilkie was a very
capable and efficient health visitor who was most popular with the
mothers among whom she served. Her death in August was
preceded by a painful illness of many months' duration. The
vacancy was not filled.
Mr. and Mrs. Clark, caretakers of the Tuberculosis
Dispensary, who (with their only child) were killed in Southlands
when that building was partly demolished by an enemy bomb on
17th November.
Mr. T. E. Noble, laboratory technician at the Tuberculosis
Dispensary, who was a victim of enemy bombing in December at
his own home.