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educational work carried on by the Council's medical inspectors of midwives and by
means of post-graduate lectures and demonstrations has had much to do with this
improvement. As an example of this it may be noted that, whereas 7 midwives were
reported to the Committee for infringements of the rules in 1910, only 1 was so reported
in 1934. Particularly is this improvement notable in the much greater use made of
the services of doctors for cases of difficulty. In 1910 medical aid was summoned
for 10 per cent, of cases, whereas in 1934 the percentage was 26.5.
The number of inspectors of midwives has been increased from 2 in 1910 to
4 in 1934, while the number of midwives notifying their intention to practise increased
from 470 to 898. A very notable fact in this connection is that the number of
bona fide midwives in practice in London, that is, those unqualified by examination,
has fallen from 91 in 1910 to 6 in 1934.
Owing to the great stress laid upon the danger of blindness from inflammation
of the eyes in the newly-born baby, the Council now provides free medical attention
for all such cases where a doctor is called in by a midwife. As a result 955 cases were
brought to notice in 1934, compared with 165 in 1910; and, whereas damage to the
eves ensued in 11 cases in 1910. no case of a damaged eve occurred in 1934.
Nursing
homes.
The Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1927, came into operation on 1st July,
1928, and repealed Part II of the Midwives and Maternity Homes Act, 1926, also
Part IV (Lying-in-Homes) of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1921.
There is no reliable information as to the number of nursing homes in London
in 1927, that is before the Act came into operation, but 203 maternity homes were
on the register and subject to inspection.
The total number of applications for registration as nursing homes approved
by the Council since the Act came into operation is 440. The total number on the
register on 31st December, 1934, was 211, showing that the total number of registrations
which have been cancelled, including voluntary withdrawals, since the Act
came into operation is 229.
Chemical
and
bacteriological
laboratories
at County
Hall.
In October, 1913, the Council s chemical staff was transferred to the public
health department.
The work of this staff, which includes a general analytical oversight of materials
supplied to the Council or used in its undertakings and much advisory and experimental
work for other departments of the service, has in most directions largely
increased since 1913, and has, since the Council took over the hospitals and institutions
under the Local Government Act, 1929, been added to in several important directions.
A scheme for the control of medical supplies has involved the examination annually
of large numbers of drugs and medicines, and in addition an analytical control is
kept over the private water supplies of many of the institutions taken over. Advice
has been given on many matters connected with engineering and other problems at
the hospitals and institutions.
A prolonged investigation of the condition of the river Thames and its relation
to effluent discharged from the Council's outfalls, and researches on biological treatment
of the effluent enabled the chief engineer and the medical officer to advise, in
1926, the construction of successive units of plant for the treatment of effluent as
then discharged "until such time as the continued improvement of the river gave
no ground for anxiety."
The first unit of this scheme has successfully treated about 10 million gallons
of effluent a day since August, 1932, and 5 further units are now under construction.
The investigation of atmospheric pollution, both as part of the general scheme
of the Research Committee of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
and in connection with special cases of pollution of air in the county, and the control
and purification of the water of swimming baths in open spaces in the county are
matters of direct public health interest which have occupied the attention of the
chemical staff.
During the period the number of samples examined chemically at the central
laboratory has increased from 7,613 a year to 9,873 a year, and the character of the
examinations required has, generally speaking, greatly increased in complexity.