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During the year there were five municipal health visitors attending the
consultations referred to above and they were assisted by two lady clerks. Two
whole-time health visitors are employed by the Shoreditch School for Mothers,
a voluntary institution situate at 28, Herbert Street, and operating in a district in
the western part of the Borough (vide No. 6 Summary on pp. 70 and 71). At the
end of the year seven health visitors were at work in Shoreditch.
With regard to health visiting during the year 1924 the summary appended
(pp. 70 and 71) shows that, taking the number of children under five years of age
living in Shoreditch as being approximately 14,000, and the number of births 2,528
registered during the year, each child under one year was on the average visited
three times. The number of children aged from one to five years is estimated at
11,500, more than half therefore of the children belonging to this age period were
visited. The summary figures also indicate that approximately 28 per cent, of the
expectant mothers in the Borough were visited.
The number of infants and children attending the various centres was 1,779,
some 1,281 being under one year, whilst the total attendances numbered 25,763,
some 17,261 of which were of children under one year. The average of the attendance
was 50 per session.
During 1924, according to the information supplied by the Hospital authorities,
some 389 cases from Shoreditch were dealt with at the Ante-Natal and Consultative
Maternity Centre of the City of London Maternity Hospital. Of these 128 were
examined by the Obstetric Surgeon attached to the Centre, some 213 examinations
being made. In all cases the urine was tested. In 261 cases the Sister attached to
the department saw and advised cases upon various aspects of their pregnancy.
Seventeen cases were referred to this Centre by the Council's Medical Officers, six
for diagnoses and eleven for their confinements in the institution.
Special features noted during the year were: version in 2, contracted pelvis 13,
past history 4, breech 5, breech version 5, albuminuria 7, post maturity 1, and
varicose veins 3. The great majority of the cases were normal before admission
and practically all who were treated ante-natally had normal confinements. The
number of cases admitted to the hospital was 169, and 101 were attended during their
confinements in their own homes.
The cases nursed under the District Nursing Association numbered some 354,
of which 294 were amongst children under the age of five years. Of some 3,730
visits to patients of all ages 3,039 were made to children under the age mentioned.
The various ailments dealt with were fairly numerous, but pneumonia, measles,
influenza, threadworms, tonsils and adenoids, otorrhoea, ophthalmia neonatorum,
post partem troubles and miscarriage furnished the majority of the cases nursed.
Ten of the cases terminated fatally—seven from pneumonia, two influenza and a
case of marasmus. Two of the deaths from pneumonia and the two from influenza
were amongst persons over five years of age.
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