BOROUGH OF RICHMOND (SURREY). ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH 1942. RICHMOND : J. H, BROAD AND CO., LTD., PRINTERS, 8, KING STREET. Public Health Department, Parkshot, Richmond, Surrey. September, 1943 Statistics. Rateable value £580,148 Sum represented by a Penny Rate £2,200 Extracts from vital statistics of the year. Birth rate per 1,000 of estimated resident population 15.4 Death rate per 1,000 of estimated resident population 15.3 Death rate from Puerperal Sepsis and other Puerperal causes 1.87 Death rate of Infants under 1 year of age— All infants per 1,000 live births 42 Deaths from Cancer (all ages) 100 Deaths from measles Nil Deaths from whooping-cough Nil Deaths from diarrhoea (under 2 years) Nil 2 BIRTH RATE, CIVILIAN DEATH RATE & ANALYSIS OF MORTALITY DURING THE YEAR 1942, (Provisional figures). (The Mortality rates for England and Wales refer to the whole population but for London and the towns to civilians only). Rate per 1,000 Civilian population. Annual Death Rate per 1,000 Civilian Population. Rate per 1,000 Live Births. Live Births. Still Births. All Causes. Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fevers. Small Pox. Measles. Scarlet Fever. Whooping Cough. Diphtheria. Influenza. Diarrhcea and Enteritis (under two years). Total Deaths under one year. England and Wales 15.8 0.54 11.6 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.02 0.05 0.00 5.2 49 126 County Boroughs and Great Towns, including London 17.3 0.66 13.3 0.00 0.02 0.00 0.03 0.06 0.09 7.5 59 148 Smaller Towns (Resident Population 25,000 to 50,000 at 1931 Census) 18.4 0.62 12.1 0.00 – 0.01 0.00 0.02 0.04 0.10 4.8 46 London Administrative County 140 0.48 13.9 0.00 – 0.01 0.00 0.04 0.02 0.07 8.6 60 RICHMOND 15.4 0.44 15.3 – – — — — — — — 42 Puerperal Infection. Others. Total. The maternal mortality rates for England and Wales are as follows Per 1,000 Total Births 0.42 1.58 2.01 The maternal mortality rates for Richmond are as follows Per 1,000 Total Births — 1.87 1.87 3 Attendances at Clinics. Antenatal. Number attended. Total attendances. 393 1,561 Attendances Windham Road Mothers 4,844 Children 4,243 Trefoil House Mothers 820 Petersham Children 916 Doctor's Consultations 2,333 Toddlers 249 Health Visitors' Visits First Visits Re-visits. 472 1,728 Nursing Homes. The Surrey County Council have registered eight Nursing Homes. 44, Onslow Road, General Medical and Maternity 22, Cardigan Road „ „ 25, West Park Road, „ ,, 86, Mount Ararat Road, General Medical 19, Grena Road, „ „ 18, Mortlake Road, „ „ 108, Church Road, ,, „ Beaconsfield, Kew Green, Maternity only. All these Homes have been visited during the year. SANITARY INSPECTION OF THE AREA. Report of Chief Sanitary Inspector. Owing to the restricted size of the Annual Report, it is not possible to give a detailed report of the Department's activities during the year, but some indication of the nature of the work carried out is given below; — 4 Inspections under the Housing and Public Health Acts. Total inspections 9,970 Nuisances discovered on 613 of the premises 869 Defects abated by the end of the year 828 Outstanding defects at the end of the year 41 Action deferred until after the War Nil Visits paid to ascertain that the defects were being properly remedied 1,203 Shops Acts. Number of shops on register at the end of the year 724 Special visits made 14 Changes of occupancy 10 Factories Act 1937. Factories on the register at the end of the year. Mechanical 123 Non'Mechanical 67 Inspections made 123 Written notices served 1 Defects found 8 Defects (a) remedied 8 Defects (b) in abeyance Nil Service of Notices. Informal Notices Served 232 Statutory or Formal Notices Served 46 5 Petroleum Acts 1928. Visits made during the year 152 Licences for which applications for renewal were made during the year : — (a) Petroleum 44 (b) Carbide of Calcium 2 New licences issued during the year 1 Number of persons licensed to keep Petroleum 43 Number of persons licensed to keep Carbide of Calcium 2 Premises under Government control and not subject to licence by the Local Authority 4 Slaughterhouses. There is one slaughterhouse in the district, but this is not now in use, as the slaughtering of animals has been centralised, and is carried out under the supervision of Government inspectors. The nearest slaughterhouse under this scheme is at Kingston. Visits made to meat shops or stores, and other premises where food is prepared, or exposed for sale 129 Eradication of Bed Bugs. Disinfestation methods were applied to the following properties: — Council Houses 13 Other Houses 39 Disinfection of Premises. Reason. Houses. Rooms. Bedding, disinfected. Infectious Fevers 31 32 244 Tuberculosis 15 14 85 Scabies 1 1 127 Other Diseases 6 11 149 Vermin 52 111 173 Public Shelters Disinfected ... ... 4 (Comprising 88 compartments) 6 Complaints. Number received and dealt with during the year 560 Diseases of Animals Acts. Over 1,000 sheep were dipped in Richmond Park during the summer, and the necessary certificates were furnished to the owners of the animals. Rats and Mice Destruction Act, 1919. The services of the Surrey County Council Rats Officer have been utilised during the year, and extermination of rats has been carried out at a number of premises. Pigeons (Richmond (Surrey) Corporation Act). During the year, 5.12 pigeons have been caught and disposed of in accordance with Section 85 of this Act. Unsound Food. Owing to the increased amount of tinned food now being stocked in the shops, and to transport difficulties causing delay in delivery, a very large quantity of tinned and other food has been inspected and condemned as unfit for human consumption. Rehousing. Acute shortage of accommodation in all districts has resulted in numerous applications for houses and flats, and a good deal of extra work has been thrown on to the Department to cope with these applications. Billeting of Evacuees, and the care of Foreign War Refugees. The routine work in connection with the evacuees billeted in the Borough, and with the Foreign War Refugees here, has continued. (Signed) GEORGE LAWS, M.B.E., F.R. San. I., F.S.I.A., Chief Sanitary Inspector and Officer under the Housing Acts. 1 SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL. SALE OF FOOD AND DRUGS ACTS. Particulars of samples taken in the Borough of Richmond during the year ended December 31st, 1942:— Articles. Analysed Adulterated or Deteriorated Prosecutions Convictions Formal Informal Total Formal Informal Total Milk 38 – 38 – – – – – Coffee — 2 2 – – – – – Cocoa — 1 1 — — — — — Sausages 1 – 1 1 — 1 — — Confectionery and Jam – 1 1 – – – – – Liver Sausage — 1 1 – — — — — Essence of Lemon — 1 1 – – – – – Elixir of Saccharin — 1 1 – – – – – Dried Milk — 2 2 – – – – – Oranjeast — 1 1 — 1 1 — — Meat Extract – 1 1 – – – – – Batter Flour " Battermix " – 2 2 – 2 2 1 1 Cake Flour — 1 1 — 1 1 – – Fruit Cordials 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 1 Fruit Syrups 2 — 2 2 — 2 — — Lemon and Barley Concentrate 1 – 1 – – – – – Orange Cordial 1 — 1 1 — 1 — — Lemon Cordial 1 – 1 1 — 1 1 1 Lemon Squash – 1 1 – — – — — Totals 45 18 63 6 7 13 3 3 8 PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER, INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES. Notifiable Diseases during the year. Disease. Total Cases Notified. Cases Admitted to Hospitals. Total Deaths. Smallpox ... ... ... Scarlet Fever 20 13 ... Diphtheria 5 5 ... Dysentery 4 3 ... Puerperal Pyrexia 11 11 ... Pneumonia 16 5 20 (all forms) 1 Cerebro-Spinal Fever 6 3 Ophthalmia Neonatorum 1 1 ... Erysipelas 4 1 ... Measles 250 3 ... Whooping Cough 41 ... ... Total 358 45 21 SOUTH MIDDLESEX FEVER HOSPITAL. ADMISSIONS CLASSIFIED. Disease. No. of Patients Admitted from Richmond. Scarlet Fever 13 Diphtheria 5 Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis 3 Measles 2 Dysentery 2 Erysipelas 1 Other Diseases 11 Total 37 DIPHTHERIA IMMUNISATION CLINIC. Total number of children seen during the year 1,300 Total number of attendances 2,632 9 Number of children immunised: — (a) Pre-school children (under 5. years) 543 (b) School children (5—15 years) 630 Total 1,173 Number re-tested after 2 years 4 Number of children who were still immune 4 Number of children who required further injections Nil Number re-tested after 4 years 21 Number of children who were still immune 20 Number re-tested after six years 24 Number of children who were still immune 22 Number of children who required further injections 2 Scabies. During the year, 218 cases of Scabies were seen, either at the Clinic, or sent by medical practitioners. Arrangements have been made for Scabies cases to be treated at the First Aid Post adjacent to the Clinic, and the personnel of this post have carried out the treatment in a very satisfactory way. The material used for treatment was a Benzyl-Benzoate Emulsion. The total number of attendances at the Clinic was 512. Of the 218, cases seen, 77 were school children. As previously mentioned, Bacteriological Examinations for Infectious Disease are carried out by the Pathologist at the Royal Hospital, Richmond. During the year the number of specimens, etc., sent up for examination was as follows : — Disease Suspected Nature of Specimen. Result. Total. Positive. Negative. Diphtheria Swabs from Throat and Nose 3 54 57 Tuberculosis Sputa 2 41 43 Other Diseases ... 4 6 10 Total 9 101 110 10 TUBERCULOSIS. It has not been necessary to take action under the Public Health (Prevention of Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1925, or under Section 172 of the Public Health Act, 1936. Respiratory Tuberculosis (Phthisis). Fifty-six cases of this disease were notified during the year (28 males and 28 females). Of these 32 (18 males and 14 females) were removed to Hospital or Sanatorium. There were 57 cases notified in 194,1. There were 21 deaths from this disease during the year. Non-Respiratory Tuberculosis was responsible for 4 deaths while 13 cases were notified during the year. Tuberculosis. Age Periods New Cases. Deaths. Respiratory NonRespiratory. Respiratory. NonRespiratory M F M F M F M F 0 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 1 1 1 ... ... ... ... ... 5 ... ... 1 1 ... ... ... ... 15 8 10 2 ... 2 5 ... ... 25 5 7 ... 3 2 1 1 ... 35 5 4 ... 1 2 1 ... 2 45 5 2 ... 1 1 1 ... ... 55 2 1 ... 2 4 1 ... 1 65 and upwards 2 3 ... 1 1 ... ... ... Totals 28 28 4 9 12 9 1 3 I am, Ladies and Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, C. S. BREBNER, Temporary Medical Officer of Health.