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
Battersea 1922
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea, Metropolitan Borough of]
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The incidence of the disease and rate per 1,000 births in the sub-districts and in the Wards is shown in the following table:-
| Registration Sub-District. | Cases. | No. of Births. | Rate per 1,000 births. |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Battersea | 19 | 1,616 | 11.8 |
| North-West Battersea | 16 | 1,198 | 13.4 |
| South-West Battersea | 6 | 851 | 7.1 |
| Wards. | |||
| No. 1. Nine Elms | 9 | 673 | 13.4 |
| „ 2. Park | 2 | 492 | 4.1 |
| „ 3. Latchmere | 10 | 451 | 22.2 |
| „ 4. Shaftesbury | 2 | 279 | 7.2 |
| „ 5. Church | 3 | 389 | 7.7 |
| „ 6. Winstanley | 9 | 561 | 16.0 |
| „ 7. St. John | 2 | 163 | 12.3 |
| „ 8. Bolingbroke | 3 | 361 | 8.3 |
| 2 9. Broomwood | 1 | 296 | 3.4 |
| Borough (1922) | 41 | 3,665 | 11.2 |
| Borough (1921) | 61 | 3,742 | 16.3 |
| Borough (1920) | 105 | 4,669 | 22.5 |
Number of cases notified-
By medical practitioners 32
By midwives or nurses 9
41
Number removed to hospitals 4
All cases of ophthalmia neonatorum notified are at once
visited by the Health Visitors, and steps are taken to see that
they are receiving medical treatment, either at home or at hospital.
The attention of all medical practitioners practising in the Borough
has been drawn to the facilities for admission of these cases to
the Metropolitan Asylums Board's Special Hospital (St. Margaret's
Hospital).
Nursing attendance is provided by the Council free where
cases of ophthalmia neonatorum are being treated at home.
During 1922, no permanent damage to the eyes resulted from
this grave infectious eye-disease amongst the cases of infants
notified.
In one case, which was under treatment at Hospital, and in
which the pathological report stated that the Xerosis bacillus only
was found, some opacity of the cornea resulted, but the child died
from bronchitis.