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

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Marylebone 1905

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]

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received during the year number only 66, against 107 of the
previous year ; and many of these were anonymous ones which
were not substantiated by investigation. All kinds of trades
are represented, dressmaking and ladies' tailoring being by
far the most prominent. Hand laundries are few in number;
three premises out of a total of 28 have ceased to be used
for laundry work.
Outworkers.
Number on the register at end of year, 1904 625
„ of removals during the year 1905 43
• „ added to register 222
Making a total on the register of 804
This district forms a great centre for the tailor's trade, and
the number of workers engaged therein increases yearly.
Owing to the greater attention given to this subject by neighbouring
Boroughs, the number of new names entered on the
register during the past year was almost double that of the
year 1904. The homeworkers' families have been entirely free
from any infectious disease. Cleansing and repairing of the
premises occupied have been enforced where needed.
Births Attended by Registered Midwives.
Since the end of the month of November, lists of these
Birth Returns have been received weekly from the L.C.C. Out
of 66 cases visited it has been found that the children, with only
three exceptions, were breast fed and apparently healthy. Two
have died at the age of two and three weeks respectively from
bronchitis.
Cleansing of Persons Act, 1897.
Verminous Children.
Lists have been received periodically from the L.C.C. of
children attending schools in the Borough and found on
inspection by the Nurse appointed by the L.C.C. Education
Department to be bodily verminous. I have visited the mothers
of 80 such children, and left a card for each child, offering
facilities for the use of a hot bath at the Shelter. Of course in
many cases the parent disavows any such statement against her
child, and while only a comparatively small number has up to
the present availed themselves of the use of the bath, yet these
visits, as also in the case of the Birth Returns, opened up possibilities
for suggesting improvements in the too-often unhealthy
and ill-kept homes of the poorer people.