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 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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76
During the year work proceeded on the preparation of plans for the erection of
the first night sanatorium and workshop on a site in the East End of London.
Tuberculosis
Care
Committees
The Council reviewed the Tuberculosis Care Committee arrangements during
the year and, as a result, decided that a Divisional Care Committee should be
appointed by each Divisional Health Committee to co-ordinate the activities of the
Tuberculosis Care Committees, Sub-Committees or other groups of persons
authorised by the Divisional Care Committee to deal with tuberculosis care work in
the division.
Mass
Miniature
Radiography
The Council has co-operated with the four Metropolitan Regional Hospital
Boards in arranging for the Boards' mass miniature radiography units to visit areas
in London for the X-ray examination of volunteers from factories, business
organisations and the general public.
Particulars of the number of persons examined are as follows:—
| Boroughs | Number of miniature films taken | Number of persons referred to chest clinics |
|---|---|---|
| Bethnal Green, City of London, Hackney. Poplar, Shoreditch, Stepney, Stoke Newing-ton, Hampstead (part), Holborn, Paddington, St. Marylebone, St. Pancras (part), Camber-well, Southwark, Woolwich, Battersea, Fulham, Lambeth, Wandsworth, Westminster | *133,298 | 1,234 |
•Includes a small number of out-county cases but excludes 3,604 school children in Southwark and 4,026
in Fulham, who were X-rayed and skin tested under the Medical Research Council's Tuberculin Survey.
Foot Clinics
The Council continued to administer the 26 foot clinics which had been
established by the metropolitan borough councils before 5th July, 1948.
No steps were taken to extend the service pending a decision by the Minister of
Health as to whether chiropody was a form of treatment which should be provided
bv local health authorities.
The following are particulars of sessions, attendances, etc., for the year:—
| *Clinic Sessions | New Cases | Attendances | Staff (in terms of whole-time units) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7,673 | 9,446 | 129,682 | 35 |
•Some sessions are attended by more than one chiropodist.
The majority of treatments provided at the clinics are for superficial
excrescences (corns, callosities, etc.) and malformed nails. Advice is given on shoe
fitting, foot hygiene and exercises.
Venereal diseases
A summary of work done in 1949 at the London V.D. clinics will be found in
Table 19, p. 132. Approximately 74 per cent. of the patients were resident in the
County. The figures show a continued improvement and the number of
patients diagnosed as suffering from V.D. who attended these clinics during the year
was, except for the period 1940-45 when a large proportion of the London
population was evacuated or in the Forces, lower than it has ever been since the
London and Home Counties scheme was formulated. There has been a marked
reduction in the number of patients suffering from syphilis compared with the year