STPAN 97 METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF SAIN? PANCRAS ABRIDGED INTERIM REPORT of the MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH for the year 1939 HLAITLAND RADFORD, M.p., B. 3. . D.P.H. To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Metropolitan Borough of Saint Pancras. 6th December, 1940 Sir, Ladies and Gentlemen, This Report is the 83rd Annual Report that has been submitted and th° sixth that I have had the honour to prepare. In accordance with Instructions received from the Ministry of Health it is an abridged report from which everything except essential statistical information has been excluded. Comparison with the preceding years does not indicate that special comment is required in regard to health conditions either during the first part of the year or during the earl}' months of the war. The outbreak of war was not allowed to interrupt the work of the Welfare Centres or of the Tuberculosis Dispensary, p.nd attendances were well maintained throughout the year. My thanks are due to. the members of the Public Health Committee, to the G-^oup Representatives and to the Staff of the Public Health Department. I am, Sir, Ladies and Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, MAITLAND RADFORD Medical Officer of Health. '•mogQLITAN BOROUGH OP SAINT PANCRAS ANNUAL (ABRIDGED INTERIM)'REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH FOR THE YEAR 1939 POPULATION Registrar General's estimate of (a) resident population, mid 1939 177,900 (b) average population appropriate to tho calculation of death, rates 167,300 NOTE: Estinat .'1 population, 177,900, includes soldiers, sailors and airnon recruitqd from the borough, and it is inadvisable to use this figure in calculating the doath rates of the civil population. LIVE BIRTHS Total It F Legitimate 1,922 950 932 Birth rati per 1,000 estimated resident populat ion 1 12.29 Illegitimate 265 126 139 Total 2,187 1, llo 1,071 STILL BIRTHS Logitimat 3 54 27 . 27 Rate per 1,000 total (liv j and still) births 26.70 Illegitimat3 6 2 4. Total So 29 21 DEATHS 2,170 1, 171 999 Death rate per 1,000 estimated average population 12.97 DEATHS FROM PUERPERAL CAUSES Deaths Rate per 1.000 total (live and still) births Puerperal s )psis 1 0.44 Other puerperal causes 2 0.89 Total J 1.33 DEATH RATE OF INFANTS UNDER OIJE YEAR OF AGE All infants per 1,000 live births 54 Legitimate infants pjr 1,000 legitimate live births 4Z Illegitimate infants per 1,000 illegitimate live births 98 NOTIFICATION OF BIRTHS The total number of notified births, Including stillbirths, from all sources was 1942. Of this number 1734 were notifiod by midwives. CLASSIFICATION OF DEATHS, WITH AGE DISTRIBUTION CAUSES OF DEATH f AGES - BOTH SEXES SEX. TOTALS Under 1 year x and under 5 5 and under 15 15 and under 25 1 25 and under 45 1 45 and under 65 65 and upwards M F. All causes 114 21 15 53 196 641 1126 1171 999 1. Typhoid and Paratyphoid — — — — — — 1 1 — 2. Measles - - — — — - - — — 3. Scarlet Fever — — ~ — — — — — 4. Whooping Cough 5 1 - .. - 1 - 2 4 5. Diphtheria - 1 l 1 - - 1 1 b, Influenza — — - - 3 5 13 11 10 7. Encephalitis Lethargica - - l - 1 ■ - - — 2 8. Cerebro Spinal Fever 1 1 - — — — - 1 1 9. Tuberculosis (Puln.) - — - 17 45 42 14 80 38 10. Other Tuberculosis 2 l - 5 2 2 8 4 11. syphilis 1 - - 1 9 4 9 b 12. General Paralysis of Insane, tabea doesalis ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ — 13. Cancer, Malignant dis — — — 4 32 150 173 182 177 14. Diabetes — — - - 1 11 28 15 25 15. Cerebral Haemorrhage, etc- — - - 3 23 53 38 41 16. Heart Disease — 1 — 6 19 120 435 294 287 17. Aneurysm — — — — 4 6 3 9 4 18. Other Circulatory dis. — - — - 2 28 86 56 60 19. Bronchitis 3 1 — — 3 31 46 49 36 20. Pneumonia (all forms) 15 l 2 7 47 69 89 57 21. Other Respiratory dis. ~ — - 1 4 9 3 11 6 22. Peptic Ulcer — .— — 1 2 15 6 16 8 23. Diarrhoea 30 - - — 2 2 1 18 17 24. Appendicitis 1 2 2 1 6 2 7 7 25. Cirrhosis of Liver — — — - 1 6 2 8 1 26. Other diseases of Liver — — — - - 3 12 7 8 27. Other digestive diseases 1 1 1 1 3 10 24 28 13 28. Acute and Chronic Nephritis ~ 1 ~ ~ 7 16 28 33 19 29. Puerperal Sepsis — — — ~ 1 ~ — — 1 30. Other Puerperal Causes - - - 1 1 - - — 2 31. Congenital Debility, Premature Birth, Malformations, etc. 48 ~ 1 ~ 1 1 ~ 33 18 32. Senility ~ — — — — 34 13 21 33. Suicide — ~ — 4 15 18 7 32 12 34. Other Violence 1 2 7 5 11 17 29 44 28 35. Other Defined Diseases 8 4 4 9 19 56 50 70 80 36. Causes Ill-defined or unknown 1 . ~ — — 1 — 1 1 Special causes (included in No. 35 above) Erysipelas ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 1 ~ — 1 PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES IN THE BOROUGH BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATION S Positive Negative Total For Diphtheria Bacilli 43 1,032 1,075 Tubercle Bacilli 18 241 259 Haenolytic Streptococci 8 9 17 Dysentery. Food Poisoning. etc. 17 17 69 1,299 1,368 NURSING IN THE HOME The following district Nursing Associations undertake the nursing of eases of i!?.m;::a occurring in expectant and nursing mothers and children under 5 years of age. An annual block grant is made to each Association in respect of such nursing of certain specified diseases: Block Grant £ Casos Hampstead 30 108 Metropolitan 250 272 North London 25 64 TREATMENT CENTRES AND CLINICS Centre Expectant Mothers Children Total Total Consult atlons Total Attendances Total Consultations Attendances Under 1 1-5 St. Pancras School for Mothers Ampthill Square. 12 124 158 3,047 1,991 5,038 Camden Town 35 437 249 4,875 3,674 8,549 Kentish Town 60 830 193 4,450 2,378 6,828 North St. Pancras School for Mothers Queen's Crescent 34 465 202 4,684 2,512 7,196 Somers Town 12 147 199 3,545 2,641 6,186 South Highgate - - 103 2,097 1,870 3,967 University College Hospital 157 2,229 102 596 252 863 Royal Fr"?e Hospital 130 687 102 244 267 456 TOTALS 440 4,919 1,308 23,538 15,585 39,123 Artificial Light treatment • - — 48 — — 720 HEALTH VISITORS The total number of visits made by Health Visitors was: Council's 17 Visitors U. C. H. 2 Visitors To Expectant Mothers 3,664 102 Post Natal 197 2 Children 24,057 743 Child Life Protection 508 8 Infectious Diseasos, etc. 2,564 42 30,990 897 DIPHTHERIA IMMUNIZATION This Is provided free for children between 1 and 13 years of age, whose parents are not earning more than £400 a year. 252 children received immunization under the scheme during the year. GYNAECOLOGICAL CLINIC The Gynaecological Clinic was opened on 11th July, 1939- Sessions were held weekly and 67 women received attention. Some of these patients attended on two or more occasions. INVALID CHILDREN'S AID ASSOCIATION Assistance Is rendered towards the cost of convalescence of children under 5 years of age, to a maximum of 5° children at 20/- each for' any on; year. (The grant has, since 1939, been increased to 3°/--) DENTAL TREATMENT Ampthill Square Camden Town Sessions 47 74 Attendances 288 1,136 The Borough Council also made a contribution of £53.14.6d towards.the co3t (£111.12.6d) of dentures supplied to nursing or expectant mothers. SUPPLY OF MILK TO MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN The total quantity of milk supplied was as follows: Pints Pounds Cost to Council Free 106,316 3,558 ) £1,901.19.8d Half Price 9,856 342 ) During the year grants were made in 3,894 cases. SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA During the y^ar 53,201 visits and inspections (including reinspebtions) were mad.e by the Council's Staff of 17 Inspectors. Of these, 5,93^ were made by the two Food Inspectors, 1,Q0f by the two Factory Inspectors, and 2,447 by the Housing Inspector (who retired on the Jlat March) and Assistant Housing Inspeotor. 3,070 intimatio.1 notices were served, including 196 by the Factory Inspectors. I.378 Statutory Notices Included 4 under the Shops Act. 20 prosecutions^were undertaken in respect of general sanitary work, and 26 under the various Food and Drugs Acts and Regulations. Defects found under the Factories Act numbered 377. of which 371 were remedied. There were no prosecutions. DISINFECTION ■ During the year disinfections were carried out after infectious diseases, as follows: Disease No. of cases No, of Houses No. of rooms contents dls infected or destroyed. No. of rooms sprayed and fumigated Scarlet Fever 257 248 258 222 Diphtheria I'M. 143 142 141 Enteric Fever 6 6 5 4 Erysipelas 50 50 50 4 Crebro-spinal Meningitis . 10 10 10 3 Measles 5 5 4 . 5 Malaria 1 1 1 — Dysentery 5 5- 5 1 Scabies 229 186 194 1 Tuberculosis 127 127 25 13§ Vermin 502 501 384 218 Polio Myelitis 2 2 2 1 Other Diseases (not notifiable) 360 360 350 36 Continued Fever 1 1 1 1 Totals 1,699 1,645 1,431 773 The number of articles disinfected or destroyed on account of infectious disease or verminous conditions is as follows: Destroyed Disinfected (a) Infectious Disease 2.16 21,175 (b) Verminous conditions 101 19,999 CLEANSING STATION The number of attendances during the year was: Men Women Children under 15 Total Vermin 1,052 20 2,807 3,879 Scabes 201 227 1.653 2,081 1,253 247 4,460 5,960 HOUSING During the year two housing estates were completed by the Council, the following accommodation being provided: 1 rm. flats 2 rm. flats 3 rm. flats 4 rm. flats 5 rm. flats rotal Camelot House, Camden Park Road 3 10 67 15 95 Montague Tibbies House, Queen's Crescent 8 1 — 99 31 139 8 4 10 166 46 234 There are now 14 estates under the control of the Council, comprising 1,254 flats. The development of a further estate on the site of the Hampshire Street Clearance area has been delayed owing to the outbreak of war. INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD (a) Milk Supply Premises on the register at the end of the year: Dairies l66 Itinerant purveyors 73 Sealed containers only 253 891 visits were made. 381 formal samples were taken and submitted for analysis, 13 (3*3 Per cent.) of which fell below the limits required by the Board of Agriculture Regulations. Milk (Special Designations) Orders, 1936 and 1938 The number of licences and the' samples taken for bacteriological examination were as follows. All.samples complied with the standard. Licences Samples Tuberculin tested 36 10 Accredited 4 1 Pasteurised 109 67 7 samples of milk were tested for the presence of Tubercle Bacilli, and proved to be satisfactory. ♦ (b) Heat and Other Foods (1) Public Health (Meat) Regulations, 1924 Periodical visits of inspection were made as follows: