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
London County Council 1930
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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30
up to court prosecutions where necessary. The latter scheme is worked from
" bathing centres " provided by the borough councils or the Council itself; these
centres are equipped with baths and sterilisers but the so-called " shampoo centres "
have only provision for head cleansing and in some cases the work is carried out in a
room in a medical treatment centre.
The number of cleansing centres used is now 38; 11 being the Council's own
centres, 18 are borough council stations, and there are 9 centres organised by
voluntary committees (one of these at "Downham" was newly opened early during
the year).
The undermentioned cases were dealt with under the cleansing scheme for the more severe cases:—
| Number of advice cards issued to parents | 90,322 |
| „ children attending voluntarily at bathing centres | 42,973 |
| „ statutory notices served in accordance with Sec. 87 of the Education Act, 1921 | 23,097 |
| „ attending bathing centres after statutory notices— | |
| (a) Voluntarily | 4,915 |
| (6) Compulsorily | 15,844 |
| ,, cases in which police court proceedings taken | 300 |
Co-operation with the medical officers of the City of London and the metropolitan
boroughs in remedying verminous conditions in the homes of children has been
continued.
Use of public
washing
facilities.
The number of children attending for warm baths during school hours was
35,089 in 1930, as compared with 37,018 in 1929. The arrangements were during the
year extended to the Borough of Fulham.
Statistics.
| Number of nominations | 639 |
| ,, children admitted to special hospitals | 324 |
| Cases seen by medical referee in voluntary hospitals | 86 |
| „ ,, „ in their homes | 147 |
| „ „ „ at supervisory centres | 86 |
| „ „ „ at County Hall | 18 |
| Reports made by care committees on home conditions | 307 |
| " Following-up " reports made by care committees | 391 |
| Cases seen at County Hall on return from hospital | 210 |
| Re-examinations by school doctors | 505 |
| Number of children attending supervisory centres for the first time | 1,387 |
| Total number of attendances at supervisory centres | 6,070 |
| Number of cases referred to Invalid Children's Aid Association | 210 |
| „ reports made by Invalid Children's Aid Association | 194 |
| „ cases reported to medical officers of health re dampness, etc. | 39 |
| „ cases reported to housing manager for better accommodation | 28 |
Report
on the
rheumatism
scheme.
Dr. A. Banks
Raffle.
During 1930 certain changes took place in the organisation of the rheumatism
scheme : 7 additional centres were brought into the Council's scheme for supervising
rheumatic children, viz.:—East London Hospital for Children, Hammersmith
School Treatment Centre, King's College Hospital, Putney School Treatment
Centre, Royal Waterloo Hospital Supervisory Centre, St Marylebone General
Dispensary and Woolwich School Treatment Centre. Of these the Hammersmith,
Putney, King's College Hospital and Woolwich Centres did not exist before 1930, but
the other three were working in co-operation with the Council's scheme although not
subsidised by the Council. The two rheumatism supervisory centres at Paddington
Green Children's Hospital and the Princess Louise, Kensington, Hospital for Children
continue to co-operate with the school medical service.
With the disappearance of the Metropolitan Asylums Board in April the
co-operation which had obtained since 1926 came to an end. From April the beds
required for the treatment of children suffering from rheumatism were supplied
by the special hospitals division of the public health department. The change has
proved of marked service to the scheme, for although the provision of hospital