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

Hackney 1932

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]

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Table: Table shows the number of cases discovered by the Health Visitors and Sanitary Inspectors, or reported to the Public Health Department by the Teachers of the London County Council schools, doctors requiring nurses for patients, charitable agencies, parents, etc. :—

Table shows the number of cases discovered by the Health Visitors and Sanitary Inspectors, or reported to the Public Health Department by the Teachers of the London County Council schools, doctors requiring nurses for patients, charitable agencies, parents, etc. :—

Month.No. of Cases which came to notice.
193219311930
January717355
February2481705
March6155928
April81425311
May6111578
June250927
July26934
August614
September542
October654
November3139
December—264
Totals2,6551212,461

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As the bi-ennial epidemic of measles was due to appear during
the Winter of 1932-1933, the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee
decided to put into operation the scheme of co-operation
between the School Medical Authority and the Borough Councils
which was adopted throughout London in the previous epidemic.
On 23rd March, 1932, the Medical Officer of Health of the
London County Council addressed a letter to the Metropolitan
Borough Medical Officers of Health drawing attention to the fact
that, owing to the pressure placed at that time upon the accommodation
provided for measles cases in the County Council's hospitals,
it would be necessary to re-introduce the system of selecting cases
for admission resorted to in previous epidemics of measles unless
there was a slackening in the rate of admission.
Following upon receipt of this warning, I addressed a letter
to every medical practitioner in the Borough drawing attention to
the desirability of restricting applications for the removal of
patients, as far as possible, to those cases in which (a) bad home