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
West Ham 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]
This page requires JavaScript
It is, of course, necessary for many of the patients to attend on more than one occasion,
and medical officers differ in the number of times they wish to see their cases. Some
indication of the volume of work carried out at thise clinics will be obtained from the
following table!-
Clinic No. of
Attendances
Stratford 3,617
Balaam Street 7,195
Rosetta 7.948
Total: 13,760
This is a decrease in attendance over last year's figures. During the post-war years there
has been a steady decrease in attendances, with the exception of 1951, as the following
figures show:-
1946 11,746 1951 32,248
1947 38,443 1952 26,160
1948 36,165 1953 22,011
1949 33,221 1954 18,760
1950 28,605
These welcome reductions may be attributed to a decline In the Incidence of many of the
conditions commonly treated at minor ailment clinics and perhaps also to an Increasing
tendancy to use the services of the private practitioner which are available through the
National Health Service.
SCABIES. The incidence of scabies remains very low. In recent years there has been a
general reduction in the number of children with this disease. Only one case was discovered
this year as compared with three caaes In 1953. These give rates of 0.003 and 0.01 per cent of
the school population. The present rate is by far the lowest ever recorded.
Previous annual reports have shown the steady decline of this Infestation from the wartime peak of 2,750 cases in 1942: it is Interesting to compare the present incidence with that of the middle years between the wars when the rates were also low. To this end
the following table has been compiledg-
| Year | No. of Cases | School Population | Dieidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | 66 | 50,279 | 0.13 |
| 1927 | 82 | 49,660 | 0.16 |
| 1928 | 100 | 48,939 | 0.22 |
| 1951 | 25 | 28,178 | 0.09 |
| 1952 | 35 | 29.139 | 0.12 |
| 1953 | 3 | 29,653 | 0.01 |
| 1954 | 1 | 29,707 | 0.003 |
REPORT ON THE WORK OP THE OPHTHALMIC CLINIC
Miss A.A.S.Russell, M.B., Ch.B., D.P.H., D.O.M.S.
The tjork in the ophthalmic clinic was carried out in the same manner as In previous
years, the ma,;' -rity of children attending for refraction and obtaining glasses. A number
children are examined because of complaints but found to have no defect.
97