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 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]
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82
Rooms.
The number of rooms dealt with and the reasons for carrying out disinfection are stated below:—
| Compulsorily Notifiable Infec tious Diseases. | Other Infectious Diseases. | Vermin. | Miscellaneous. | Total. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 308 | 56 | 87 | 218 | 669 | ||
The number of rooms disinfected in 1937 was 997.
Library Books.
At the request of the Public Libraries Committee, whose rule requires that on
the occurrence of a case of infectious disease in any house in which there is a library
book, information must be given to the librarian, arrangements were made to
receive and disinfect the volumes. The number dealt with during the year was 671.
BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS.
Table 65 shows the number of specimens examined for the purposes of diagnosis, and indicates also the organisms in relation to which the examinations were made.
TABLE 55.
| Examination. | Positive. | Negative. | Suspicious. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Throat and Nasal swabs (for B. diphtherias and haemolytic streptococci) | 47 | 619 | 12 | 678 |
| Sputa (for tubercle bacilli) | 12 | 152 | — | 164 |
| Faeces (for typhoid) | 2 | 5 | — | 7 |
| Widal test (for typhoid) | 3 | 3 | — | 6 |
| Urine (for typhoid) | 1 | 4 | — | 5 |
| Swab (for gonococcus) | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| Totals | 65 | 784 | 12 | 861 |
HEALTH PROPAGANDA.
The special efforts made locally, during the last four months of 1937, to secure
a wider use of the health services, following the inauguration of a national campaign
by the Prime Minister on the 30th September, 1937, were continued throughout the
year 1938. The arrangements included, in addition to the usual forms of propaganda
practised through the health centres and by the officers of the sanitary authority,
the distribution of large quantities of leaflets and other literature throughout the
Borough and the exhibition of posters. In the latter connection the Marylebone
Road hoarding of the new Town Hall extension, which was placed at the disposal of
the Public Health Committee for publicity purposes, again proved a valuable site
for the display of attractive poster sets drawing attention to the various health services
available to the inhabitants of the Borough.