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 1959
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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48
The means of preventing home accidents remains as outlined
last year's report. That is to say, efforts must be directed mainly towards
the education of the public, chiefly through the work of our Health
Visitors and Public Health Inspectors, as a part of their daily routing
duties in the field of health education. In addition, other statutory and
voluntary organisations are playing an important part.
HOME ACCIDENTS IN BATTERSEA, 1956 -1959. Table 1 Total
| Year | Age group (years) | M. | F. | Total. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 and 4 | 5-19 | 20-59 | 60-69 | 70-79 | 80 plus | ||||
| 1956 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 32 | 83 | 32 | 50 | 41 | 98 | 172 | 270 |
| (%) | (1.2) | (3.2) | (3.7) | (3.8) | (11.7) | (31.0) | (11.6) | (18.5) | (15.3) | (36.0) | (64.0) | 100.0 |
| 1957 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 27 | 78 | 30 | 44 | 40 | 85 | 166 | 251 |
| (%) | (1.4) | (3.3) | (3.4) | (4.6) | (10.7) | (30.7) | (12.0) | (17.7) | (16.2) | (34.3) | (65.7) | 100.0 |
| 1958 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 28 | 80 | 28 | 47 | 43 | 88 | 174 | 262 |
| (%) | (1.5) | (3.8) | (3.8) | (4.6) | (10.7) | (30.5) | (10.7) | (18.0) | (16.4) | (33.6) | (66.4) | 100.0 |
| 1959 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 28 | 73 | 27 | 42 | 38 | 85 | 155 | 240 |
| (%) | (1.3) | (3.8) | (3.8) | (4.6) | (11.6) | (30.4) | (11.2) | (17.5) | (15.8) | (35.4) | (64.6) | 100.0 |
| 1956 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 32 | 83 | 32 | 50 | 41 | 98 | 172 | 270 |
| (%) | (1.2) | (3.2) | (3.7) | (3.8) | (11.7) | (31.0) | (11.6) | (18.5) | (15.3) | (36.0) | (64.0) | 100.0 |
| 1957 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 27 | 78 | 30 | 44 | 40 | 85 | 166 | 251 |
| (%) | (1.4) | (3.3) | (3.4) | (4.6) | (10.7) | (30.7) | (12.0) | (17.7) | (16.2) | (34.3) | (65.7) | 100.0 |
| 1958 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 28 | 80 | 28 | 47 | 43 | 88 | 174 | |
| (%) | (1.5) | (3.8) | (3.8) | (4.6) | (10.7) | (30.5) | (10.7) | (18.0) | (16.4) | (33.6) | (66.4) | 100.0 |
| 1959 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 28 | 73 | 27 | 42 | 38 | 85 | 155 | 240 |
| (%) | (1.3) | (3.8) | (3.8) | (4.6) | (11.6) | (30.4) | (11.2) | (17.5) | (15.8) | (35.4) | (64.6) | 100.0 |
Table II
| Cause of Accident | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall: | ||||
| On stairs | 40 | 37 | 41 | 36 |
| From ladder | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| From chair | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| Outside (i.e., windows, balconies, roofs, etc.) | 11 | 6 | 5 | 9 |
| In garden | 15 | 10 | 8 | 10 |
| In bath | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| From one level to another (i.e., tables, boxes, beds, etc.) | 14 | 14 | 11 | 12 |
| On same level (i.e., in room, over objects) | 26 | 19 | 35 | 31 |
| Unspecified | 74 | 80 | 85 | 72 |
| Hit by Object | 15 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Cooking stove (saucepans, water, fats, | ||||
| etc.) | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Teapot | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Other boiling water | 6 | 8 | 4 | 5 |
| Electric shock | 1 | — | 1 | 1 |
| Poisoning (including foreign objects) | 9 | 12 | 8 | 8 |
| Gassing | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Knife-like wounds (including spikes and cuts from glass) | 23 | 17 | 12 | 7 |
| Fires | 8 | 3 | 8 | 4 |
| Windows (trapping) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Suffocation | — | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Not specified | 4 | 18 | 15 | 13 |
| Total | 270 | 251 | 262 | 240 22.1 |
| Rate per 10,000 population | 22.9 | 21.3 | 23.7 |