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
Marylebone 1925
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]
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connection with which assistance is required is the more or less rough work of the
house and the washing, and it is essential to find women willing to undertake
these. Several women both willing and capable have been found and more or less
of a band of "Home Helps" has been formed. In some cases they are only
required for half a day, a few days a week, in others for a whole day and every
day. All of them have taken the greatest interest in the work and have willingly
carried out all instructions. The system adopted is on the lines described in connection
with milk orders under the Milk (Mothers and Children) Order, and the
scheme being a contributory one the contribution, if any, to be made by the mother
towards the payment of the home help is estimated in much the same way. The
number of cases in which home helps were employed in 1925 was 2. The total
amount expended during the financial year to 31st March, 1926, was £4 12s. 6d.
SANITARY ADMINISTRATION.
Under this, which is made a separate heading by the Ministry of Health, the.
Medical Officer of Health is required to make reference to a number of matters,
e.g., staff, hospital accommodation and some others, most of which will be found
dealt with elsewhere.
(1) Staff: Work of sanitary inspectors and other officers engaged in
sanitary work. This matter, so far as the inspectors are concerned, is fully
discussed in an early part of the report. The report of the Mortuary Keeper
(Mrs. Spears) is as follows:—
Number of bodies deposited from 1st January to 31st December, 1925.
| 1925. | Males. | Females. | Total. | For burial only. | For inquests. | Total. | No. of P.M 's held. | No. of courts held. | No. of Infectious cases. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8 | 11 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 9 | 6 | - |
| February | 8 | 9 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 17 | 2 | 3 | - |
| March | 6 | 8 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 5 | 3 | - |
| April | 5 | 9 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 4 | 3 | - |
| May | 6 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 4 | - |
| June | 9 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 4 | - |
| July | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | - |
| August | 7 | 7 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 3 | 8 | - |
| September | 6 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 3 | - |
| October | 7 | 6 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 6 | 2 | - |
| November | 9 | 8 | 17 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 3 | 7 | - |
| December | 7 | 16 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 6 | 7 | - |
| Totals | 78 | 92 | 170 | 91 | 79 | 170 | 53 | 46 | - |
The fact that there are caretakers (a man and his wife) at the Tuberculosis
Dispensary has already been noted. In addition to looking after the premises
they also render great assistance in connection with conduct of the clinics, taking
notes, helping in the weighing of the patients, etc.
(2) Hospital accommodation.—This being a matter with which the
Borough Councils in London have no direct concern, it is not considered
necessary to make special reference to it.
(3) Local Acts, special local orders and their administration.—There are
no Acts or Orders applicable in the Borough which do not apply to other parts
of London. The London County Council (General Powers) Acts contain a
number of provisions under which a considerable amount of work is done,
e.g., those relating to places where food is dealt with. Reference is made to
these elsewhere.