CRA 7 Urban District of Crayford Annual Report OF THE Medical Officer of Health For the Year 1942 BY C. M. OCKWELL M.D. (Lond), F.R.C.S. (Eng.), D.P.H. (Camb.) The Sparta Press, Crayford Crayford Urban District Council To the Chairman and Members of the Urban ' District Council and Health Committee. Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the honour to submit my twenty-second Annual Report. STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE AREA. Area (in acres) 2,698.71 Population (Census 1931) 15,896 Number of inhabited houses 7,075 Rateable Value £152.823 Sum represented by a penny rate £592 Total M. F. Live Births—Legitimate 432 217 215 Illegitimate 9 4 5 441 221 220 Birth rate per 1,000 of the estimated resident population 19.3. General birth rate for England and Wales 15.8. Total M. F. Stillbirths—Legitimate 9 5 4 Illegitimate • — — Rate per 1,000 total (live and still) births 20. Total M. #] Deaths 193 106 87 Death rate per 1.000 of the estimated resident population 8.5. General death rate for England and Wales 11.6. Deaths from puerperal causes. Puerperal Sepsis — Other puerperal causes — Other Maternal Causes 2 2 Death 'rate of infants under one year of age:— All infants per 1,000 live births 46.3 Legitimate infants per 1,000 legitimate live births 46.3 Illegitimate infants per 1,000 illegitimate live births Nil General death rate of infants under 1 year of age for England and Wales 49 Deaths from Cancer (all ages) 39 Deaths from Measles (all ages) 0 Deaths from Whooping Cough (all ages) 0 Death from Diarrhoea (under 2 years of age) 0 GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE AREA. Public Health Officers. Medical Officer of Health (part time) C. M. Ockwell, M.D.(Lond.), F.R.C.S.(Eng,), D.P.H, (Camb.). Sanitary Inspectors (whole time) » R. Milligan, Cert.R.San.I., M.S.I.A. F. C. Weston, A.R.S.I., M.S.I.A., Cert.S.I.B. Health Visitors (whole time) Miss E. B. Kiddell. Miss I. E. Smith, S.R.N., S.C.M. Health Visitors' Cert. Laboratory Facilities. The following specimens were sent to the County Laboratory from this District:— Swabs- 148 Sputa 45 Others 9 Bacteriological examination of School Milk 25 Bacteriological examination of Water:— Swimming Bath 12 Emergency Supplies 15 Others 4 Child Welfare Clinics. The attendances at the Clinics have increased. The average attendances are as follows:— 3 Toddlers Clinics No. of Clinics. Attendances. Average[/$$$] Crayford 23 1027 44.6 Slade Green 24 632 26.3 Barnehurst 24 1429 59.5 Infants Clinics. Crayford 48 3660 76.2 Slade Green 24 853 35.5 Barnehurst 49 3705 75.6 Totals at both Clinics 192 11306 58.8 Milk. 50 pounds (dry milk) of milk were granted to Clinic mothers and children during the year either free or at less than cost price. Wartime Nurseries. The first nursery was opened in temporary quarters at Crayford House, on the 8 th June, 1942, and transferred on the 27th July, 1942, to Shenstone. The second nursery to serve the Slade Green Area was not opened until the 11th January, 1943. The attendances at the Crayford nursery were 5,892. At the end of the year there were 63 children on the register. Government Evacuation Scheme. Number of expectant mothers evacuated 1 Number of children under 5 evacuated 3 Total number of children evacuated 8 Home Helps. Home helps have carried out their duties satisfactorily to 12 families during the year. Maternal Mortality. 138 women attended the Clinic. The total number of attendances during the year was 586. Clothing Coupons. During the year 28,260 clothing coupons have been issued to 503 expectant mothers. Maternity and Nursing Homes. Of the 441 live births 280 occurred at Institutions and 127 of these at the Crayford Russell-Stoneham Memorial Hospital. 4 Health Visiting. During the year the Health Visitors paid 13,880 visits. Infant Life Protection. At the end of the year there were 15 persons receiving children for reward under the Children Act, 1908, and Children and Young Persons Act, 1932. 91 visits were paid to foster children during the year. At the end of the year there were 17 children remaining on the register. SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA. Closet Accommodation. Approximate number of premises containing each type of sanitary convenience in the district:— W.C's. into drainage system 7892 W.C's. into Cesspools 11 Earth Closets or privy middens 4 Pail Closets 9 Number of premises not connected to public water supplies Nil Public Cleansing. The salvage aspect of refuse collection has been very much to the fore, and increased quantities of useful war materials have been reclaimed. The controlled tip at Slade Green Road has continued in use, no difficulties having been experienced in keeping crickets and rats to a minimum. No complaints in these matters have been received. Sanitary Inspection of the Area. No. in district No. of visits in 1942 No' of faults and defects found No. of faults and defects remedied Bakehouses 3 12 1 1 Dairies 14 42 2 2 Other food-preparing places, which are, as such, subject to inspection 78 277 8 8 Houses let in lodgings 1 2 1 1 5 Nuisances and defects remedied during the year (other than those enumerated in the previous tabulation). Overcrowding 4 Sanitary Accommodation: Defective 538 Drainage: (i) Repaired 35 (ii) Cleansed 265 Refuse Receptacles 48 Dampness 36 Roofs and Rain Water Pipes 214 Floors 33 Walls & Ceilings 670 Windows & Ventilation 119 Baths, Lavatory Basins and sinks 94 Water Supplies 138 Total number of visits of all kinds paid by Inspectors during the year 6,151 Approximate number of separate premises in area 7,571 Notices served:— Statutory 3 Informal 525 Number of houses, etc., disinfected 37 Batches of clothing 8 Shops Acts. Visits made during the year 109. Swimming Bath. The standard of purity of the Martens Grove Swimming Pool showed continued improvement and a high quality of water is now maintained. Eradication of the Bed Bug. Particulars of the action taken in 1942 for the eradication of the Bed Bug are as follows:— Number of Infestfed Disinfested Council Houses 13 13 Other Houses 4 4 6 HOUSING STATISTICS. (1). Inspection of Dwelling-Houses. (1) Total number of dwelling-houses inspected for housing defects (under Public Health or Housing Acts) 532 Number of inspections made for that purpose 1551 (2) Number of dwelling-houses (included under sub-head (1) above) which were inspected and recorded under the Housing Consolidated Regulations, 1925 and 1932 Nil Number of inspections made for that purpose Nil (3) Number of dwelling-houses found to be in a state so dangerous or injurious to health as to be unfit for human habitation Nil (4) Number of dwelling-houses (exclusive of those referred to under the preceding subheading) found not to be in all respects reasonably fit for human habitation 525 (2). Remedy of defects during the year without Service of formal Notices. Number of defective dwelling-houses rendered fit in consequence of informal action by the Local Authority or their Officers 525 (3). Action under Statutory Powers during the year. Statutory Notices under Housing or Public Health Acts 3 Total number of houses owned by the Local Authority 989 7 Number of houses built during 1942:— (a) By the Local Authority Nil (b) By other bodies or persons 2 (4). Housing Act, 1936, Part IV.—Overcrowding. (a) (i) Number of dwellings overcrowded at end of year 11 (ii) Number of families dwelling therein 11 (iii) Number of persons dwelling therein 90 (b) Number of new cases of overcrowding reported during the year 2 (c) (i) Number of cases of overcrowding lieved during the year 4 (ii) Number of persons concerned in such cases 25 (d) Particulars of any cases in which dwellinghouses have again become overcrowded after the Local Authority have taken steps for the abatement of overcrowding Nil INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD. Milk Supply. 26 samples of milk taken from school supplies for bacteriological examination were found to be satisfactory. One mixed sample of milk was procured from a producer's herd and two samples from individual cows for pathological examination; the result showed no evidence of tuberculosis. MEAT AND OTHER FOODS. Local slaughterhouses are closed owing to the Centralised Slaughtering Scheme of. the Ministry of Food. 8 During the year a total of 5 tons, 13 cwts., 2 qrs., 9 lbs. of food was found to be unfit for human consumption. Classification is shown below:— Tons Cwts. Qrs. Lbs. Meat 3 3 2 Fish 2 15 Vegetables 5 6 1 11 Miscellaneous 3 1 24 5 13 2 9 CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS DISEASE. Diphtheria Immunisation. Total number of children who completed the full course of immunisation during the year:— Under 5 years of age 575 Over 5 years and under 15 years 314 889 Alum Precipitated Toxoid in two doses (0.2 cc. and 0.5 cc.) is now used as routine. Notifiable Diseases (other than Tuberculosis) during the year. Disease Total cases notified Cases admitted to hospital Deaths Small Pox _ _ _ Scarlet Fever 34 11 _ Diphtheria 8 8 1 Enteric Fever (including Paratyphoid) 1 1 _ Puerperal Pyrexia 8 3 _ Pneumonia 16 _ _ Erysipelas 7 2 _ Cerebrospinal Meningitis 2 2 1 Measles 408 _ _ Whooping Cough 22 _ _ Ophthalmia Neonatorium 1 _ _ Totals 507 27 2 9 Age Groups. Disease Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 10 15 20 35 45 65 upwards Total Smallpox - - - - - - - - - - - - - Scarlet Fever - - 2 - 3 5 18 6 - - - - 34 Diphtheria - - - - 1 1 2 2 - 1 1 - 8 Enteric Fever (including Paratyphoid) - - - - - - - - 1 - - - 1 Puerperal Pyrexia — — - - - - - - - 8 - - 8 Pneumonia - 2 - — 2 1 3 2 1 1 1 3 16 Erysipelas - - - - - - - - - - 2 5 7 Cerebrospinal Meningitis _ - 2 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ 2 Measles 6 28 30 52 55 71 152 10 2 2 - - 408 Whooping Cough 3 2 4 3 6 3 1 - _ _ _ - 22 Opthalmia Neo. 1 - - - - - - - - - - - 1 Totals 10 32 38 55 67 81 176 20 4 12 4 8 507 Tuberculosis. Age periods New Cases Deaths Respiratory NonRespiratory Respiratory NonRespiratory M F M F M F M F 0 1 - - - 1 - - - 1 - - - - - - - - 5 - 1 — - - - - - 15 - 2 1 3 _ - 1 - 25 - 12 1 - 1 5 - 1 35 7 3 1 - 2 1 - 45 2 1 1 - 2 - - - 55 3 - - - 2 - 1 - 65 and upwards 1 - - - - - - - Totals 14 19 4 3 8 6 2 1 10 Scabies Orders, 1941, No. 1724. Treatment for Scabies is now carried out at the First Aid Post, Crayford. At the end of the year, 285 cases had been treated and 110 batches of clothing disinfested. I am, Your obedient servant, C. M. OCKWELL, Medical Officer of Health. 11