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 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Heston and Isleworth]
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| Sales at Clinics. | Quantity. | Receipts. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cow and Gate | 8599 lbs. | 584 | 9 | 5 |
| Half-Cream Cow and Gate | 1355 lbs. | 95 | 10 | 5 |
| Ostermilk | 464 lbs. | 35 | 15 | 9 |
| Hemolac | 16 lbs. | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Lacidac | 148 packets | 14 | 8 | 2 |
| Virol | 418¼ lbs. | 32 | 2 | 11 |
| Sugar of milk | 235 lbs. | 13 | 12 | 6 |
| Oil and Mall | 415 lbs. | 13 | 10 | 9 |
| Lactagol | 1214 tins | 63 | 16 | 10 |
| Cod Liver Oil Emulsion | 7554 bottles | 213 | 10 | 8 |
| Bemax | 372 packets | 7 | 11 | 8 |
| Adexolin | 109 phials | 6 | 11 | 3 |
| Total | £1082 | 4 | 4 | |
Ante-Natal Clinic.
Dr. Wrigley's report which had been presented was destroyed in the fire. I have nothing
but praise for the way in which Dr. Wrigley's work has been done. The clinic continues to
grow and now every midwife in the district is bringing or sending cases to the Ante-Natal
Clinic.
The following figures of attendances at the Clinic:—
| 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attendances by Expectant Mothers during the year | 696 | 738 | 831 |
| Average Attendance per Session | 13.4 | 14.2 | 14.0 |
| Number of Sessions | 52 | 52 | 59 |
| No. of Mothers attending Ante-Natal Clinic shown as a percentage of total notified live and still births | 29.03 | 28.0 | 31.8 |
| New patients | 388 | 336 | 384 |
| Total number of expectant Mothers who attended the Clinic during the year | 396 | 373 | 419 |
there were in addition 31 post-Natal Cases, as against 26 in 1933.
For the first time, as far as I am able to ascertain, broadcasting was used, not to inform
the relations of a patient that they were to go to such and such a hospital to see a patient who was
seriously ill, but to find the whereabouts of a patient in order to save her life.
The facts were that a married woman came to the Ante-Natal Clinic early in pregnancy
and was found to have a very early carcinoma of the cervix. The Ante-Natal Specialist did not
inform her of the real condition, but took steps to arrange for her immediate admission to
hospital with a view to operation. As soon as these arrangements were concluded, that is, within
two days, steps were taken to get in touch with the patient, but it was found that the house was
empty. Subsequent evidence showed that following a long spell of unemployment, they had got
info arrears with their rent and an Ejectment Order had been put into force, and they had been
put out of the house, and where they had gone, nobody that we could find in the immediate
vicinity had any idea.
In view of the seriousness of the woman's condition and the imperative need for the saving
of time, knowing the rapidity with which this condition progresses during pregnancy, I asked the
B.B.C. whether they would broadcast at the six o'clock news that night. I had, of course, to tell
them as much of the circumstances as would show them the urgency of the matter. They agreed
to do it, but warned me that I should be inundated with reporters from the various newspapers.
At the six o'clock news the S.O.S. went over. The address, by some mistake, was
wrongly given. I immediately telephoned to the B.B.C. and in an amazingly short time, the
announcer corrected the mistaike that had been made in the original broadcast.
The forecast of the Authorities at the B.B.C. with regard to reporters, was fully confirmed.
Most of the London newspapers rang up and were not satisfied in some cases with either one or
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