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

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London County Council 1931

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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The cases were classified as follows under the heading of:—

Meningitis. 1. Tuberculous3161 specimens from 52 cases.
2. Meningococcal18
3. Influenzal5
4. Pneumococcal3
5. Undetermined (influenzal or meningococcal)4

Otitis Media and Complications (14).
Cerebral Lesions—Tumour abscess, encephalitis (10), Hæmorrhage, thrombosis,
arteriosclerosis (28), Cerebral and spinal neurosyphilis (10).
Lesions of the Spinal Cord (12), Abnormal Menial States (12), Meningismus (22),
General Diseases (13).
Miscellaneous Material.
Sputum.—In 23 (or 41.8 per cent.) of 55 specimens of sputum examined, tubercle
bacilli were found.
Urine.—Six specimens were examined microscopically and chemically. Two
showed the presence of albumin 0.04 and 0.025 per cent. respectively, with granular
and cell casts.
Blood.—Examinations were made of six individuals, either by complete count,
differential leucocyte counts, or films for presence of malarial parasites (the latter in
two cases examined proved negative).
Slide preparations from vaginal, urethral or conjunctival secretions from ten
persons, showed vaginal gonococci in one.
Milk Examinations.—128 samples of milk supplied to 64 elementary schools,
24 hospitals and 20 residential institutions, were examined—quantitatively for total
bacterial content per c.c. and qualitatively for presence of coliform organisms, after
48 hours incubation at 37°C.
Fifty-four samples were passed as satisfactory and 74 were regarded as
unsatisfactory—an analysis of the results is contained in the complete report on the
examination of milk, undertaken in the Council's laboratories, and appearing on
pages 52-53.
Water Examinations.—Seventy-two samples of the water supplies, chiefly
from deep wells, in 14 different institutions under the Council's control were examined
quantitatively for total bacterial content per c.c. and qualitatively for presence of
coliform organisms—in addition to the chemical analyses undertaken in the chemical
laboratory.
Materials
prepared in
the County
Hall
laboratory.
For the bacteriological work conducted in the laboratory during the year,
some 36,500 c.c. of fluid and solid media were prepared; in addition over 5,300
tubes of serum were made for use in the diphtheria investigations conducted in
schools and institutions.
Cases dealt
with by the
Council
Mental Deficiency Acts, 1913-27.
On 7th December, 1931, there were being dealt with by the Council 7,861 cases.
Of these 4,679 were in institutions, 106 under guardianship, 3,030 under supervision
and 46 in places of safety awaiting action. During the year 3,282 cases were examined
in detail; the figure includes 708 cases examined at general hospitals (including
Edmonton and Brentwood epileptic colonies). In addition 631 persons were
scrutinised in casual wards, with a view to seeing if there were prima facie ground
for further investigation.