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
Finsbury 1958
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finsbury Borough.
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During the year it was carried out in the following instances for the reasons set out:-
| Suspected Diphtheria | 30 |
| " Scarlet Fever | 37 |
| " Poliomyelitis | 5 |
| " Dysentery & Gastro enteritis | 64 |
| " Measles | 30 |
| " Whooping Cough | 11 |
| Tuberculosis | 16 |
| Scabies | 2 |
| On behalf of St. Marks & other hospitals | 20 |
| Miscellaneous | 20 |
| 235 |
Bedding and clothing were brought to the Disinfecting Station in
the Health Centre in these cases, and disinfected with steam. In all
including the cases where this was carried out for the control of
vermin. 5,180 articles were treated.
Goods, mostly clothing, were also disinfected on behalf of certain export firms as follows.
| Number of articles | 56,109 |
| Number of times disinfecting plant charged | 151¾ |
Nuisance from Pigeons
In order to control the number of pigeons in the Borough, licenses
have been granted for catching them in the streets and open spaces, as
they are liable to become a public nuisance and to do much damage.
Enquiries are made as to the means employed by those authorized, to
ensure that they are humane and as to disposal of the carcasses to
ensure that birds unfit for human consumption are not sold for this
purpose. During 1958 two licenses were in force.
Mortuary
The Corporation of London was so good as to make available mortuary
accommodation at their Golden Lane Mortuary for Finsbury infectious
and emergency cases.