DEPT 25 METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF DEPTFORD REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH FOR THE YEAR 1940 Public Health Department, Central Clinic, Amersham Road, S. E. 14. 30th November, 1941. To The Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Metropolitan Borough of Deptford. Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the honour to present my twelth Annual Report, which is abridged so as to come within the limits prescribed by the Ministry of Health. During the early months of 1940, the Council's public health services, which had been gradually resumed after the initial dislocation consequent upon the outbreak of the war, were continued albeit upon a reduced scale. Later in the year, with the onset of bombing and the speed-up in evacuation, it was found necessary to re-arrange much of the Maternity and Child Welfare service. Infant Welfare Sessions were carried on as far as possible with a staff depleted by reason of their Civil Defence duties, but Toddlers° and Sunlight Clinics had to be abandoned. Only emergency visiting could be carried out. The London County Council scheme for the evacuation of expectant mothers was continued, the assembly point for the Borough being the Central Clinic. Difficulties have been experienced all the time in the evacuation of unaccompanied children of pre-school age. The Babies' Hospital continued to do good work during the first year of the war but with a reduced child population and increasing difficulties in obtaining staff, the Hospital closed in October. The members of the Council's Maternity Home staff who, since the closing of the Maternity Home at the outbreak of war, had been employed upon Civil Defence duties, were gradually replaced by Nurses engaged for the purpose and were then transferred to Maternity hospitals in reception areas. I desire to record my appreciation of the able and willing manner in which all members of the staff have carried out the duties allotted to then - duties, in many cases, rendered much more, onerous by reason of the reduction in the total number of staff. Anongst those members of the staff absent from Deptford at the present time, the following have joined His Majesty's Forces:- Messrs.G.B.Allen, E.J,Elliott, D.X.Evans L.C. Southgate. The following briefly records the sanitary circumstances of the Borough in 1940:- GENERAL DATA Area of Borough 1,564 acres Comparative figures for Deptford London Birth rate (per 1,000 living) 16.6 13.7 Still births (per 1,000 total births) 23 Death rate (per 1,000 living) 19.4 17.8 Infantile Mortality rate(deaths under 1 year per 1,000 births) 27 50 - 2 - GENERAL DATA (continued) Estimated Population (for birth and death rates) 75,340 Total live births registered (for birth rate) 1,249 Births registered (for Infant mortality rate) 1,172 Still births registered 29 Infant deaths registered 32 Deaths registered 1,462 Corrected death rate (comparability factor 0.98) 19.0 INFECTIOUS DISEASES Enteric fever 6 cases — deaths Cerebrospinal Meningitis 21 ,, 6 ,, Scarlet fever 38 ,, 1 ,, whooping cough 16 ,, — ,, Diphtheria 30 ,, 2 ,, Erysipelas 24 ,, — ,, Smallpox - ,, — ,, Measles 76 ,, 1 ,, Pneumonia 83 ,, 65 ,, Puerperal fever 2 ,, 1 Puerperal pyrexia 7 ,, — ,, DISINFECTION & DISINFESTATION Premises disinfected (infectious disease) 325 Total articles disinfected in Steam Disinfector 25,154 Premises disinfected (requests) 38 Books disinfected in formalin chamber 47 Premises disinfected (verminous conditions) 117 Articles destroyed at Owner's request 839 Van loads of verminous furniture destroyed 7 BATHING CENTRE Total baths given to School children(other than for Scabies) 1,502 Total baths given in the Disinfecting station to adult males in connection with verminous conditions 148 Scabies baths to School Children 824 Total baths given to adult females and young children (other than for Scabies) 57 Scabies baths given to adult males 70 Scabies baths given to adults and young children 405 MORTUARY & CORONER'S COURT Bodies received 564 Inquests held 337 MATERNITY & CHILD WELFARE "Visits paid by Health Visitors:— To expectant mothers First visits 917 Total visits 1,553 To children under 1 year First visits 1,063 Total visits 7,764 To children 1-5 years Total visits 7,727 Infant Welfare Centres Total children who attended 1,758 Ante-natal Centres Total women who attended 1,059 Post-natal Centres Total women who attended 34 - 3 - CHILD LIFE PROTECTION Persons receiving children for reward. 16 Number of children involved 17 Total visits of Health Visitors 52 GYNAECOLOGICAL & POST-NATAL CLINIC Sessions held 31 Total attendances 675 Total women who attended 239 TUBERCULOSIS Cases notified for first time (Pulmonary 123 (Non-pulnonary 7 New cases coming to knowledge otherwise than by formal Notification (Pulmonary 22 (Non-pulmonary 6 TUBERCULOSIS DISPENSARY Cases on Dispensary Register 31/12/40 382 Consultations between Practitioners and Tuberculosis Officer 206 Number of contacts examined. .93 Total attendances of patients and contacts at Dispensary. l453 Visits of Tuberculosis Officer to homes 138 X-ray examinations made in connection with Dispensary cases 299 Visits of Tuberculosis Health Visitors to homes - (To Dispensary cases 2,653 Total specimens of sputum examined at Dispensary 765 (To other cases 1,256 CARE COMMITTEE Recommendations for institutional treatment to Care Committee 172 Visits paid by Secretary 1,007 Interviews 914 Cases dealt with by Care Committee 634 Sums raised by Christmas Seals (1940) £55.15.9. Expenses £5.7.0 Grant from National Association, to supplement above £14. 3.0. SANITARY INSPECTION Total primary inspections made by Sanitary Inspectors 3,383 Total re-inspections made by Sanitary Inspectors10,247 Total Intimation Notices served 941 Total Statutory Notices served 302 Cases in which legal proceedings were instituted to enforce compliance with Notices 4 A considerable measure of dislocation of the routine work of Sanitary Inspection occurred during the year, by reason of the assistance required and freely given by my staff in connection with the supervision of First Aid Posts and Stretcher Party Depots. Later in the year, when the intensive air-raid attacks on the metropolis developed, the Inspectors were also much occupied upon the inspection of bombed sites and the examination and disposal of damaged foodstuffs. - 4 - FOOD AND DRUGS ACT, 1938 Milk. Others. Total Samples taken 177 303 480 Number adulterated or otherwise infringing the Act, by reason of improper labelling 13 16 29 Instances in which legal proceedings were instituted 2 The foregoing account, necessarily abridged, reflects the large volume of work carried out by the Public Health staff during a period of exceptional difficulties. I have the honour to be Your obedient Servant, Medical Officer of Health.