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
Willesden 1926
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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8
Hospital Treatment of Children under 5 Years of Age.'—The following table gives
particulars of the children under treatment at the Willesden General Hospital and St. Monica's Home
Hospital under the Council's scheme during 1926:—
Table No. 2.
| Willesden General Hospital. | St. Monica's Home Hospital. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. of Children in Hospital at 31st December, 1925 | 1 | 3 | |
| No. of Children admitted during 1926 | 3 | 84 | |
| Total No. of Children under treatment during 1926 | 5 | 87 | |
| No. of Children discharged during 1926 | 5 | 87 | |
| No. of Children died in Hospital during 1926 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mortality % | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. of Children remaining in Hospital at 31st Dec., 1926 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The following table gives particulars of the conditions for which children were admitted during
1926, the treatment carried out and the results of such treatment:—
Table No. 3.—Children under 5 Years Admitted to Hospital during 1926.
| Condition. | No. Admitted. | Forms of Treatment. | Result of Treatment. | In Hospital at end of 1926. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operative. | General. | Other forms. | Remedied. | Improved. | Unchanged | Died. | |||
| Marasmus | 7 | .. | 7 | .. | 3 | 2 | .. | .. | |
| Enlarged Tonsils and Adenoids | *77 | 74 | .. | .. | 74 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Total | 84 | 74 | 7 | .. | 76 | 3 | .. | .. | |
* Three cases not operated on.
** One case transferred to Municipal Hospital suffering from Measles—died two days after
admission.
Puerperal Fever.—During 1926 16 cases of Puerperal Fever were notified. This gives a
case rate of 5.93 per 1,000 registered births, as against 2.90 in 1923, 4.20 in 1924 and 5.80 in 1925.
4 of these notified cases proved fatal, 1 death occurring in 1927, and in 1 case the home address
was not in Willesden, which gives a case mortality of 25.0 per cent., as against 12.50 per cent. in
1925 and 16.7 per cent. in 1924, and a maternal mortality from this cause of 1.5 per 1,000 births.
The maternal mortality from all causes was 1.9 per 1,000 births including the 2 deaths of Puerperal
Fever cases referred to above but which do not appear as due to Puerperal Fever in the 1926 Death
Tables.
In 6 of the 16 notified cases a private doctor was in attendance at birth, in 2 cases the doctor
arrived after the birth of the child, in 3 cases the birth was attended by a midwife, and in 3 cases
the birth occurred in a Hospital. 1 case was a miscarriage attended by a doctor and 1 a miscarriage
attended first by a handywoman who called in a doctor.
The other particulars of the cases are as follows:—
| Table No. 4. |
|---|
| 1 case normal. |
| 1 case normal as far as ascertained—diagnosed Toxaemia due to septic teeth and constipation. |
| 1 case normal—born before arrival of doctor. |
| 1 case born before doctor's arrival—handywoman present—quick normal labour. Fatal. |
| 1 case normal confinement—temperature rose fifth day. Curetted, nothing found. |
| 1 case normal as far as ascertained—phlebitis. |
| 1 case normal delivery—torn perineum—1 stitch—20 hours in labour. |
| 1 case normal labour—1 suture in perineum—curettage, portion of placenta removed. |
| 1 case patient sustained severe bruising of vulva during delivery—uterus explored— nil found—fatal. |
| 1 case vaginal discharge for several months before confinement—septic knee joint— |
| ante partum and post partum haemorrhage. |
| 1 case instruments and chloroform. |
| 1 case forceps delivery—perineum ruptured. |
| 1 case forceps delivery and anaesthetic—delayed labour. |
| 1 case chloroform and instruments—severe haemorrhage after confinement—partially retained placenta. |