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 1930
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]
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Home Helps.—Provision for rendering assistance in carrying out the work of
the home to expectant, nursing or ailing mothers was available throughout the
year. The women employed are found by and are well known to the health
visitors. The number of cases in which there is willingness to take advantage of
the assistance is trivial, the women preferring apparently to make their own
arrangements for securing assistance. Actually home helps were employed in 1930
in 4 cases, the total amount expended during the financial year to 31st March,
1931, being £3 17s. 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:—
Report of Mortuary Keeper.
Number of bodies deposited from 1st January to 3lst December, 1930.
| 1930. | Males. | Females. | Total. | For burial only. | For inquests. | Total. | No. of P.M 's held. | No. of courts held. | No. of Infectious cases. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12 | 9 | 21 | 15 | 6 | 21 | 7 | 5 | - |
| February | 11 | 15 | 26 | 16 | 10 | 26 | 6 | 6 | - |
| March | 7 | 12 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 19 | 9 | 5 | - |
| April | 13 | 11 | 24 | 19 | 5 | 24 | 6 | 4 | - |
| May | 21 | 16 | 37 | 21 | 16 | 37 | 10 | 8 | 2 |
| June | 10 | 5 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 15 | 6 | — | — |
| July | 9 | 7 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 6 | 5 | — |
| August | 10 | 11 | 21 | 16 | 5 | 21 | 6 | 3 | — |
| September | 7 | 11 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 18 | 7 | 5 | — |
| October | 6 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 1 | — |
| November | 5 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 4 | — | |
| December | 10 | 14 | 24 | 22 | 2 | 24 | 3 | — | — |
| Totals | 121 | 119 | 240 | 174 | 66 | 240 | 73 | 42 | 2 |
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 the 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.
Nursing homes in the Borough number 55, but with these registration
under the Nursing Homes (Registration) Act, 1927, being in the hands of the
London County Council, the Borough Council, whose officers could very easily
and efficiently carry out the duties involved, have no concern whatever.
(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