London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Poplar 1913

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Poplar, Metropolitan Borough]

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258
Report of Miss Hall, Health Visitor.
Public Health Offices,
Bow Road, E.,
January 5th, 1914.
Sir,—
I beg to present the sixth Annual Report of my work.
The paid Organising Secretary of the Poplar Health Visiting Association
commenced her duties early in January. I now, therefore, have no
communication with the Voluntary Helpers, and know nothing of the
work carried on by the Association except as regards the visiting. Case
Papers are sent out from this department weekly or on request, direct to
the Organising Secretary, who returns them monthly for the purpose of
tabulating the number of visits paid, etc., for the report to the Public
Health and Housing Committee. I regret to have to report a still
further decline in this branch of the Association's work, there being a
decrease of 4,422 in the number of visits paid, compared to 1912.
With your permission I undertook to organise the work of the
Demonstrators at the Tuberculosis Exhibition, attending each day, and
lecturing to “Mothers” each afternoon. My grateful thanks are due
to those ladies and gentlemen, who by their hearty co-operation, made my
task such a pleasant one, and helped to make the exhibition the success
it undoubtedly was. Later on I also organised a “Baby Show” in
connection with a “Garden Fete” held in the Poplar Recreation
Grounds, and would like to express my thanks to everyone who helped,
more especially to Doctors Cullen, J. Fearnley, E. Gorrie, Rome Hall
and G. R. Young, who very kindly undertook the difficult task of judging.
My thanks are also due to the Charity Organisation Society and the
Children's Invalid Aid Association for help received during the year.
The reduction in the number of “Mothers working at Home,” I put
down as due to the operation of the National Insurance Act.
The number of infants kept under supervision during 1912 shows an
increase (665), the rate of mortality amongst them a decrease (25.52
per 1,000) in comparison with 1911.
Included under the heading “Miscellaneous” are visits paid while
carrying out investigations for the London County Council Inspector of
Mid wives and in connection with births not notified. The cases referred
to this department by the hospitals have been very few.