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

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Wandsworth 1911

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

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Report of the Medical Officer of Health. 137
It is not possible with the present staff to do more than has
been done in endeavouring to educate and assist these cases, but
if a Dispensary were in operation the visiting nurse could undertake
a large proportion of this work and so allow the Inspectors in this
Department to devote more of their time to revisiting certain of
the home treated cases, and to their other duties, viz. : the inspection
of Factories and Workshops, and the visiting of infants.
During the year 15 sputum bottles have been supplied, and
two were returned after the death of the patient.
Of 527 cases which were visited by the Inspectors, in 212 the
information obtained was so indefinite that it was not possible
to tabulate it, in the majority of the cases no family history being
known.
24 cases were notified from the Workhouse, 18 from Tooting
Bee Asylum, three from H.M. Prison, two from the Intermediate
Schools, in two wrong addresses were given, seven had removed,
in 35 the patients were either lodgers or domestic servants and the
occupiers of the house could give no information, while in only
two cases during the year were the Inspectors refused information.
The Tables which follow have been drawn up by the London
County Council in conjunction with the Society of Medical Officers
of Health, so that a uniform Table for the whole of London could
be prepared.
In future years these Tables will be much more correct and
consequently more valuable.