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 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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A report on the Willesden Maternity Hospital by Mr. Arnold Walker, the obstetrician, appears
later on in this report.
The Willesden Maternity Hospital is recognised as a Training School for Midwives.
A report on the extension of the Hospital appears as Appendix H.
Frequent requests for admission to the Willesden Maternity Hospital are received from
residents in adjoining areas, and during the year a conference with neighbouring authorities was held
at Hendon to discuss the general question of Maternity Hospital accommodation.
Ante Natal Work for Institutions not under the Council.—Requests are received
from the Middlesex County Council and from various London Hospitals for home vists to expectant
mothers, and special reports by the Council's Health Visitors in connection with women who are to
be confined in these Hospitals.
110 such reports were supplied to London Hospitals and 217 to the Middlesex County Council
during the year.
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 1933:—
Table No . 4.
| Willesden General Hospital. | St. Monica's Home Hospital. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. of Children in Hospital at 31st December, 1932 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| No. of Children admitted during 1933 | 170 | 15 | 185 |
| Total No. of Children under treatment during 1933 | 170 | 18 | 188 |
| No. of Children discharged during 1933 | 170 | 15 | 185 |
| No. of Children died in Hospital during 1933 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Mortality % | 0 | 6.25 | 0.53 |
| No. of Children remaining in Hospital at 31st Dec., 1933 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
The following table gives particulars of the conditions for which children were treated during
1933, the treatment carried out and the results of such treatment
Table No . 5.—C hildren under 5 Years under Treatment in Hospital during 1933.
| Condition. | Brought forward. | Admitted during Year. | Total under Treatment. | Treatment Completed. | In Hospital at end of Year. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forms of Treatment | Results of Treatment. | |||||||||
| Operative. | General. | Other Forms. | Remedied. | Improved or Unchanged. | Died. | |||||
| Marasmus | 3 | 21 | 24 | — | 22 | - | 2 | 19 | 1 | 2 |
| Enlarged Tonsils and Adenoids | — | 164 | 164 | 162 | 2 | — | 163 | 1 | — | 0 |
| Total | 3 | 185 | 188 | 162 | 24 | — | 165 | 20 | 1 | 2 |
Puerperal Fever.—During 1933, 13 cases of Puerperal Fever were notified as against 8 in
1932, 14 in 1931, 5 in 1930, 6 in 1929 and 6 in 1928. This gives a case rate of 4.9 per thousand
registered live births, as against 2.9 in 1932, 4.9 in 1931, 1.7 in 1930, 2.21 in 1929 and 2.25 in 1928.
The figure per 1,000 registered total births is 4.7 for 1933 against 2.8 for 1932.
Of the 13 notified cases 4 proved fatal. The 3 other deaths appearing in the death table under
puerperal sepsis were those of 2 cases notified as puerperal pyrexia and 1 case which had not been
notified.