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 1936
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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Hospital Confinements.—During 1936, 913 women were confined in the Willesden Maternity
Hospital. In addition to these a number of Willesden mothers were confined in institutions outside
Willesden, 473 births of Willesden residents being notified from such outside institutions—110 from
Queen Charlotte's Hospital, 42 from Queen Mary's Maternity Home, Hampstead, 63 from St. Mary's
Hospital, 17 from University College Hospital, 25 from Middlesex Hospital, and smaller numbers
from other hospitals ; 66 from a nursing home and smaller numbers from other nursing homes. These,
together with some 387 in the Central Middlesex County Hospital, are approximately 60 per cent,
of the births belonging to Willesden and show the desire of the present-day mother for institutional
confinement.
A report on the Willesden Maternity Hospital by Mr. Arnold Walker, F.R.C.S., the Council's
Consultant Obstetrician, appears later on in this report.
Ante-Natal Work for Institutions not under the Council.—Requests are received
from the Middlesex County Council and from various London Hospitals for home visits to expectant
mothers, and for special reports by the Council's Health Visitors in connection witli women who are
to be confined in these Hospitals.
120 such reports were supplied to London Hospitals and 188 to the Middlesex County Council
during the year.
Hospital Treatment of Children under 5 Years of Age Excluding Orthopedic
Treatment which is dealt with in Appendix F and excluding 210 Cases of Infectious Disease
Admitted to the Willesden Municipal Hospital—Measles, Whooping Cough, etc.—The
following table gives particulars of the children under treatment at the Willesden Municipal Hospital,
at the Willesden General Hospital and St. Monica's Home Hospital under the Council's scheme and
at other hospitals during 1936 :—
Table No . 6.
| Willesden Municipal Hospital (since 1-4-36). | Willesden General Hospital (before 1-4-36). | St. Monica's Home Hospital (before 1-4-36). | St. Mary's Home, Broadstairs. | Dedisham Convalescent Home, Slinfold. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of Children in Hospital at 31st December, 1935 ... | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| No. of children admitted during 1936 ............ | 107 | 20 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 140 |
| Total number of Children under treatment during 1936 | 107 | 22 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 147 |
| No. of Children discharged during 1936 ............ | 98 | 22 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 136 |
| No. of Children died in Hospital during 1936 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| No. ol Children remaining in Hospital at 31st December, 1936 ... | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
The following table gives particulars of the conditions for which children were treated during
1936, the treatment carried out and the results of such treatment :—
Table No . 7.—C hildren under 5 Years under Treatment in Hospital during 1936.
| 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 | 7 | 42 | 49 | - | 49 | - | 14 | 24 | 7 | 4 |
| Enlarged Tonsils and Adenoids | 0 | 98 | 98 | 98 | - | - | 98 | - | - | 0 |
| Total | 7 | 140 | 147 | 98 | 49 | - | 112 | 24 | 7 | 4 |
Puerperal Fever.—During 1936, 6 cases of Puerperal Fever were notified as against 3 in
1935, 9 in 1934, 13 in 1933, 8 in 1932, and 14 in 1931. This gives a case rate of 2-1 per thousand
registered live births, as against 1-1 in 1935, 3-3 in 1934, 4-9 in 1933, 2-9 in 1932, 4-9 in 1931.