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
St Pancras 1911
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, London, Borough of]
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33
In July of this year the North St. Pancras School for Mothers was opened
at 4, Rhyl Street—the premises having been kindly lent one afternoon a week
for this purpose. This new School has been of the greatest assistance in
dealing with the infant work in the northern part of the Borough, and a large
number of mothers have taken advantage of the educational facilities afforded
by the School.
The following information obtained through this enquiry may be of interest:—
| Cases investigated | 135 | |
| Some information obtained | 129 | |
| Family moved. No information | 3 | 6 |
| Information refused | 1 | |
| Never lived in St. Pancras | 2 | |
| Breast-fed | 11 | 129 |
| Mixed-fed | 22 | |
| Hand-fed | 96 |
Of the 118 wholly or partially artificially fed at death:—
| 118 | 44 had never been breast-fed. |
| 12 had been breast-fed up to 1 week. | |
| 30 „ ,, from 2-3 weeks. | |
| 7 ,, ,, to 1 month. | |
| 14 ,, ,, from 1-2 month | |
| 3 „ „ 2-3 „ | |
| 1 „ „ „ 3-4 „ | |
| 1 „ „ „ 4-5 „ | |
| 3 „ „ „ 5-6 „ | |
| 1 „ „ „ 6-7 „ | |
| 2 „ „ „ 8-9 „ |
Of these only 5 confessed to using tube bottles.
16 were illegitimate.
6 were twins.
The subjoined Table A may also be of interest as showing the particular
month of age at death, and the method of feeding at that time.
The compulsory notification of Ophthalmia Neonatorum came into force
from March 13th, 1911.
Since that date twenty-six notifications of this disease have been received in
St. Pancras. Of these, five were workhouse cases. Twenty-one were being
nursed at home at the date of the first inquiry. Of these, four were afterwards
removed to Hospital or Infirmary. Of the remaining seventeen, eleven mothers
were taught how to carry out the Doctors instructions themselves. In four cases
Queen's Nurses were called in, and in the remaining two the maternity nurse
who had attended at the confinement was responsible.