London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Southall 1939
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southall]
This page requires JavaScript
Owing to the outbreak of war the sessions were not continued after the August
recess and the attendances from January until the end of July are tabulated below:—
Infants. Mothers.
First visits 25 47
Re-attendances 426 235
Voluntary Help at Clinics.
The voluntary workers continue to give considerable help in the running of the
Infant Welfare clinics. As has been pointed out before, the help given greatly aids
the efficient running of the clinics and it also saves considerable expense to the Council,
who are deeply appreciative of the work done.
Midwives.
Arrangements in the Council's Domiciliary Midwifery Service remain unchanged
and leaflets are issued describing the services provided. These are available at the
Manor House and the Branch Health Centre.
Midwives attend regularly at the ante-natal clinics, where in consultation with
the doctor any anticipated difficulties can be discussed and a solution found.
The scheme has resulted in an improvement of the standard of domestic obstetrics,
and a satisfactory number of bookings is made each month.
The monthly bookings for each district are included below:—
| Districts | No. 1 | No. 2 | No. 3 | No. 4 | No. 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 3 |
| February | 4 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| March | 8 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| April | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| May | 8 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| June | 7 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 5 |
| July | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| August | 1 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
| September | 7 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 7 |
| October | 9 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| November | 9 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 1 |
| December | 9 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 7 |
The number of midwives who during January, 1939, gave notice of their intention
to practise in Southall was 13. Of these, 10 were resident in Southall and 3 were
resident outside the district.
The following table, based on material kindly supplied by Dr. H. M. C. Macaulay,
the County Medical Officer of Health, gives information which deals with notifications
relating to Southall, received from all midwives resident in Southall during the year:—
Table No. 26.
| Medical Help, Mothers and Children | 100 |
| Laying out dead body | 2 |
| Liability to be a source of infection | 6 |
| Death of child | 5 |
| Stillbirths | 3 |
| Artificial feeding | 12 |