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
Heston and Isleworth 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Heston and Isleworth]
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The attendances, presentations, etc., for the year 1932 are as indicated below:—
| Attendances. | Attended by. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Primip. 180 = 306 attendances. | Doctors | 24 | |
| Multi. 208 = 390 ,, | Midwives Nursing Homes | 150 18 | |
| On Books 388 = 696 ,, | West Middlesex Hospital Other Hospitals | 43 7 | |
| Presentations. | Defects. | ||
| L.O.A. Multi. | 41 | Dental Caries | 73 |
| L.O.A. Prim. | 50 | Varicose Veins | 7 |
| R.O.A. Multi. | 19 | Poor Nipples | 12 |
| R.O.A. Prim. | 17 | Worms | 2 |
| R.O.P. Multi. | 2 | Pyorrhoea | 1 |
| R.O.P. Prim. | 7 | Epilepsy | 2 |
| L.O.P. Multi. | – | Pyelitis | 2 |
| L.O.P. Prim. | 1 | Cystitis | 1 |
| Breach Multi. | 2 | Obstinate Constipation | 1 |
| Breach Prim. | 4 | Albumin | 3 |
| Not diagnosed M. | 44 | Sugar | 4 |
| Not diagnosed P. | 27 | ||
| Twin Pregnancies | 2 | ||
| X-Rayed | 4 | ||
| Sputum | 1 | ||
| Vaginal Swabs | 4 | ||
| External Version | 8 | ||
| Not Pregnant | 14 | ||
| Referred to Hospital | 11 | ||
| Referred to Own Doctor | 8 | ||
| Moved from District | 24 | ||
| Eclampsia (premature twins, lived 2 days) | 1 | ||
| Deaths of Mothers (each attended Clinic once—death from natural causes) | 2 | ||
| Premature Births | 2 | ||
| Full-time Babies died within first month | 4 | ||
MATERNAL MORTALITY.
I am glad to report that negotiations are proceeding to a satisfactory conclusion for the
admission of cases of Puerperal Fever to the Isolation Block at Queen Charlotte's Hospital at Ravenscourt
Park.
DENTAL CLINIC.
The following is the Dental Surgeon's Report for the year :—
MATERNITY & CHILD WELFARE DENTAL SCHEME—1932.
General Comments.
Supply of Cases.—As indicated last year, the then newly appointed Ante-Natal Surgeon,
sent us many cases, this year he has beaten his own record, the proof is the number of appointments
sent, together with the net attendances.
Appointments show an increase of 322 from 828 in 1931 to 1,150 in 1932.
Net attendances from 711 in 1931 were 925 in 1932, an increase of 214.
The percentages of the Actually Treated have climbed from 65.6 per cent. to 68.7 per cent.,
an increase of 3.1 per cent.
Evaluation of the above figures.—They do not altogether give a full value of the work they
have entailed, because in dealing with the youngest of the young and the " all sorts " conditions
of the Mothers, greater difficulty is experienced in disposing of these cases, the Clinic can congratulate
itself in spite of increased work, it has increased its percentage of Actually Treated, another proof
of the Mothers' anxiety to save the child from dental caries, pain and deformities, which have been
too often the Mothers' lot.
New factors and problems solved in 1932.—The danger of creating a series of open wounds
in half of the mouth, and leaving active contaminating matter in the other half, was too great to
contemplate, and the only safe treatment was to have the anaesthetic of a more general nature than
is used in Clinics, and all the bad teeth extracted at one operation. Clinics have skilled and experienced
staffs for this work, but no facilities for operative work of this class. Hence arrangements are made
for these cases to be treated in the Dental Wards of Charing Cross Hospital—this Authority paying
an arranged fee to the Royal Dental Hospital for the services provided.
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