AC 4342 LNBRARY HOL 43 THE METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF HOLBORN. Abridged Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1945. J.A. STRUTHERS, M.D.,M.R.G.P.,D.P.H. TEE METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF HOLBORN. Abridged Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1945, RESIDENT Estimated to middle of 1945 (as supplied by POPULATION the Registrar General) for birth and death rates 18,680 LIVE BIRTHS Total M. F. Legitimate 197 108 89 Birth rate per 1000 estimated population 13,06 Illegitimate 47 30 17 STILLBIRTHS 8 5 3 Rate per 1000 (Live & still births) 31,75 DEATHS 296 177 119 Death rate per 1000 estimated population 15.85 DEATHS FROM PUERPERAL CAUSES There were no deaths from puerperal causes during 1945. ! DEATH RATE OF INFANTS UNDER ONE YEAR OF AGE All infants per 1,000 live births 69,67 Legitimate infants per 1,000 live legitimate births 71,07 Illegitimate infants per 1,000 live illegitimate births. 63.83 NOTIFICATIONS OF BIRTHS The total number of births, including stillbirths, notified as occurring in the Borough was 49. Of this number, 4 were notified by medical practitioners and 45 by midwives. CLASSIFICATION OF DEATHS The causes of deaths (296) were as follows:- Cerebro spinal fever 1 Bronchitis 22 Tuberculosis of the respiratory system 15 Pneumonia 12 Other respiratory diseases 1 Other forms of tuberculos is 1 Ulceration of stomach or duodenum 5 Syphilitic disease 5 Influenza 1 Diarrhoea 1 Cancer of buccal cavity & oesophagus 5 Appendicitis 2 Other digestive diseases 6 Cancer of uterus 2 Nephritis 7 Cancer of stomach and duodenum 9 premature birth 5 Congenital malformations, birth injury, infantile diseases 10 Cancer of breast 4 Cancer of all other sites 30 Suicide 6 Intra-cranial Vascular disease 29 Road traffic accidents 3 Other violent causes 18 Heart disease 73 All other causes 15 Other diseases of the circulatory system 8 2 INFANT MORTALITY There were 17 deaths of infants under one year of age, 3 of whom we illegitimate. The causes of deaths were as follows: Pneumonia 1,Diarrhoea 1. premature birth 5. Congenital malformation, birth injury and infantile diseases 8. All other causes 2 GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES No major changes in the health services provided in the Boroug occurred during 1945, Details of the services may be seen on referenc to previous annual reports. MATERNITY AND CHILD WELIARE WORK_ The total number of vicitr made by a Health Visitors was 2,507. The number of attendances of children at the Infant Welfare Centres was 5,915. The number of attendances at the Ante-Natal clinics was 517. DAY NURSERIES There are two Day Nurseries in the Borough; one provides places for 45 children and the other for 50 children. Both are owned and managed by voluntary organisations. one of those nurseries was taken over by the Council as a war-time nursery on 1st June, 1943, and returned to the owners of the Nursery on 29th September, 1945, SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES AND ADMTNISTRATT0N During the year, 17005 inspections (including re-inspections) were carried out by the Sanitary Inspectors. Included in this total number were 65 inspections on complaints of nuisance, and 7 28 with reference to infectious disease The number of inspections of factories and workplaces was 454. Defects were found and reniedied in 41. instances. 236 Intimation Notices,9 statutory Notices under the public Health (London) Act, 1936, were served. during tne year. No legal proceedings were necessary during the year to secure compliance with notices served under the public Health (London) Act, 1931 DISINFECTION During the year, 65 rooms were disinfected after cases of infectious or other disease, of these, 14 wore rooms which had been occupied by tuberculous persons, In addition, 143 rooms of private dwellings were disinfected of vermin. At the Disinfecting Station 6,7 27 articles of bedding, clothing etc, 254 books and 68 toys were disinfected, CLEANSING STATION The number of verminous persons residernt in Holborn cleansed during the year was 248 men and 10 women. 3 NSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD Milk. The number of milk premises on the register is 47 (13 dairies, 11 restaurants, 25 general shops). These premises were all inspected as occasion required during the year. In addition, 20 retailers were registered for it inorant sale of milk from premises in the areas of other local authorities, Milk (Special Designationsj Qrder or 4 licences to sell "pasteurised" milk, and 4 supplementary licences 3 to sell "pasteurised" milk and 1 to sell "tuberculin-tested" milk, were granted during the year. Public Health Meat Regumlations 369 inspections of butchers' shops and market stalls wefe made during the year Inspection of other premises where food is prepared or offered for sale. Under this head are incuiuded the following premises: Bakehouses; kitchens, of hotels, restaurants and other eating houses, butchers' shops; tripe, offal and other meat shops; fried fish, eel and other fish shops, 994 inspections were made of tixese premises during the year. 24 Notices under the Food and Drugs Act-, 19-38, were served requiring defects to be remedied. Unsound Food. 4 tons 1q owt, of tinned meat, fish and other foods were surrendered and destroyed, or disposed of, otherwise* FOOD AND DRUGS SAMPLING During the year 60C formal samples were submitted to the Borough Analyst for analysis; of these six were adulterated, viz : Soup powder cont .ining grubs . Pea flour containing grubs, Worcestershire sauce containing sulphite preservative. Grapefruit squash containing sulphite preservative. Milk containing 4.2 ded water. Milk containing 5-5, added water, In the first 5 instances looters of warning were sent to the vendors. In the last instance legri proceedings were taken. The case was dismissed, and the wholesalers ordered to pay 10 guineas costs. WATER 1. The water supply in this area has been satisfactory both in quantity and quality. There have been no complaints received, 2. There is a piped supply, and bacteriological examinations of the raw water are made by the Metropolitan water Board, who also perform chemioal analysis, 3. The water is not known to have any plumbo-solvent action. 4. ' No action has been necessary in respect of contamination. 5. All dwelling houses are supplied direct from the mains, and standpipes are normally used only in cases of emergency such as repair of mains. There was no cage during the year under review in which the use of stand-pipes was necess ry owi;ig to bomb damage. INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES The total number of notifications-received during the year was 3.65 as follows: Diphtheria 11 Whooping Cough 11 Scarlet Fever 14 Measles 103 Puerperal Fever 2 Pulmonary Tuberculosis 59 Puerperal Pyrexia 4 Non-pulmonary tuberculosis 9 Pneumonia 6 Scabies 125 Dysentery 12 Rheumatic Fever 1 Erysipelas 3 Cerebro-spinal fever 1 Food Poisoning 1 Acute poliomyelitis. 1 Ophthalmia Neonatorum 1 Acute encephalitis lethargica 1 DIPHTHERIA IMMUNISATION CLINIC 171 children (163 under 5 years of age and 8 children between the ages of 5 and 15) were immunised during the year. WHOOPING- COUGH IMMUNISATION CLINIC The Council established in October, 1939, a Clinic for active immunisation against whooping cough at the Maternity and Child Welfare Centre, No. 10, John Street. The Clinic is held on Wednesday afternoon of each week. The outstanding feature of our experience is the absence of reaction in nearly every case. 110 children attended the clinic during the year. SCABIES During the year 125 cases were notified by medical practitioners. Arrangements were made with the Middlesex Hospital for the treatment of scabies in 1942. As a result of the closing down of the Civil Defence Service in June, 1945, the hospital was obliged to close down the clinic on the 31st December. Disinfection of patient's clothing was carried out during treatment. Homes were visited by the Health Visitor who arranged for disinfection of bedding etc. PUBLIC HEALTH (TUBERCULOSIS) REGULATIONS, 1930 The total number of notified cases of tuberculosis in the Borough on the Notification Register on 31st December, 1945, was 154 (pulmonary-males 67, females 42; non-pulmonary-males 18, females 27) TUBERCULOSIS DISPENSARY The number of new cases examined was 122, 46 of these were definitely tuberculous (36 pulmonary and l0 non-pulmonary); 64 nontuberculous and 12 doubtful. The number of attendances was 624; and 718 visits to the homes of patients were made by the Dispensary Visitor. The total number of cases on the register on the 31st December was 145. 5 TUBERCULOSIS CARE COMMITTEE During the year 1945, the Committee met four times, 319 oases were reported upon,, of which 67 were new cases. The Secretary's interview with patients or relatives, including visits, totalled 700. ALLOWANCES FOR TUBERCULOUS PATIENTS UNDERGOING TREATMENT. During the year 1945, 36 patients received allowances. 17 now applications were received, 13 of which were granted. 29 patients have now removed or resumod work or have died. The allowances were made up as follows: Maintenance allowances 30. Discretionary allowances 14. Special allowances 6. The amount disbursed during the year was £978 17s. 1d. ARTIFICIAL PNEUMOTHORAX TREATMENT 21 patients received treatment. The total cost of £98 was borne by the Council. EXTRA NOURISHMENT 22 cases received extra nourishment. The total cost of £145 was borne by the Council. J.A. STRUTHERS M.D.,M,R.C.P.D.P.H. Medical Officer of Health, .