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58
ADMINISTRATIVE WORK.
ADMINISTRATIVE WORK.
The engagement by the Council of the Health Visitor employed by the School for Mothers
was terminated in November upon the appointment of an additional Woman Inspector. One
Male Inspector enlisted for military service. Arrangements were made for his duties (inspection
of houses let in lodgings) to be performed by the remaining members of the Staff. No other
changes in the Staff of Inspectors took place during the year.
Summaries (a) of the principal items of work carried out during the year by the District
Inspectors will be found in Table 40, (b) relating to Food, Housing and Miscellaneous Matters in
Table XII., Appendix, and (c) of Classifications of Outworkers, Factory and other premises,
and inspections made under the Factory Acts in Table XI., Appendix.
Prevention of Infectious Disease.—The visiting and supervision of cases of the
principal infectious diseases was divided between the District Inspectors and the Women
Inspectors, the former taking scarlet fever, diphtheria, enteric fever, and erysipelas, and the latter
puerperal fever, tuberculosis, and ophthalmia neonatorum. A re-arrangement was made with
regard to the visits in connection with measles, whooping cough, chicken-pox, and school
sickness, whereby the District Inspectors undertook these during eight months of the year and
the Women Inspectors during the remaining four months.
The District Inspectors made 4,808 calls during the past year, as compared with 2,258 in
1913 and 1,976 in 1912. The great increase in the number of visits recorded last year
is to be accounted for partly by the prevalence of scarlet fever and partly by the fact that
during a portion of the year the District Inspectors visited cases of the minor infectious diseases
which in former years were visited by the Women Inspectors.
Last year 1,005 patients were removed to hospital, as compared with 777 in 1913 and 523
in 1912. The patients nursed at home last year numbered 48, 20 more than in 1913 but 5 less
than in 1912.
The Women Inspectors made 7,167 calls with reference to the diseases assigned to them,
calls in connection with tuberculosis numbering 5,758.
The number of visits made by the two Women Inspectors for all purposes totalled 10,301,
as compared with 10,592 in 1913 and 10,627 in 1912. A quarterly distribution of their visits is
given below.
Quarters 1.
2.
3.
4.
1914 2,755 2,576 2,792 2,178
1913 2,070 2,858 2,649 3,015
1912 2,644 2,837 2,322 2,824
1911 2,028 1,863 2,133 1,308
1910 1,878 2,425 1,493 1,483
Visits by the Temporary Health Visitor in connection with new-born children are dealt
with under "Health Visiting."
Last year 3 patients suffering with whooping cough were admitted to the hospitals of the
Metropolitan Asylums Board. There were no admissions to these hospitals for measles, but
several patients suffering with this disease were admitted to the Infirmary, and others removed
privately to the London Fever Hospital. The admissions for measles numbered 100 in 1913
and 74 in 1912, and for whooping cough 32 both in 1913 and 1912.
During the year seven warning letters were issued to midwives who had been in attendance
on cases of puerperal fever. No letters were issued in 1913, but in 1912, 6 were sent out.
Disinfection.—Last year 2,927 rooms were sprayed, as compared with 3,100 in 1913
and 2,274 in 1912. Three hundred and fifty-one rooms were disinfected after consumption, the
figures for 1913 and 1912 being 348 and 318 respectively.