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
Stepney 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stepney]
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23
The examination by the doctor at the clinic is a comprehensive one on
the lines of a school medical inspection. Defective children are referred to
their family doctor or hospital and cases requiring dental treatment to the
Borough dental clinic. All defective children are followed up by the health
visitor to ascertain what steps the parents have taken to carry out the doctor's
instructions with regard to remedying of the defects. Children with serious
defects are called up again for re-examination.
The following is a summary of defects found:—
Malnutrition 4
Squint 0
Dental Caries 13
Tonsils 13
Adenoids 2
Cervical Adenitis 11
Heart disease 1
Non-tuberculous lung disease 2
Rickets Present 3
Past 7
Genu Valgum 7
Deformity of chest 2
Deformity of spine 0
Umbilical hernia 4
Miscellaneous 27
96
(Note.— For figures of attendances at todders' clinics see Table on p. 34.)
Ante-natal Clinics.— The total attendances at the Borough ante-natal
clinics continue to increase. For 1936 the figure was 585, for 1937, 687.
The majority of cases attending the Vallance Road Ante-natal Clinic are
booked for delivery at Mile End Hospital, whilst the majority of cases attending
the Limehouse Ante-natal Clinic are confined at home with a private midwife
in attendance.
Infantile Mortality.— The total infantile mortality for the year was 167,
giving an infant mortality rate of 60.7 which, it is a pleasure to note, is the
lowest recorded for this Borough. In the previous year, 1936, the corresponding
figures were 307 and 100.09 respectively, which were very unusually
high due to a measles epidemic, its concurrent broncho-pneumonia and associated
increased mortality due to diarrhoea.
The mortality figures for infants under one year for these three diseases for the past three years were,
| 1935. | 1936. | 1937. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Measles | Nil | 15 | — |
| Pneumonia and Broncho-pneumonia | 34 | 56 | 37 |
| Diarrhœa | 31 | 71 | 24 |
As noted in the 1936 report, the mortality from diarrhoea occurred
throughout all quarters of the year with two peaks in the curve, one in the
first quarter and one in the third quarter of the year. The highest peak in
1937 was in the third quarter of the year, whereas in 1935 the highest peak
occurred in the first quarter, probably due to the measles epidemic which