Annual report on the vital statistics and sanitary condition of the Borough of Lewisham and report of the Public Analyst for the year 1909.

  • Lewisham (London, England). Borough.
Date:
[1910]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: Annual report on the vital statistics and sanitary condition of the Borough of Lewisham and report of the Public Analyst for the year 1909. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    7 the school teachers. Cases occur daily which emphasise more and more the necessity for the control and examination of school children (as far as infectious disease is concerned) being in the hands of the local sanitary authority. By notifications from the head teachers of schools we received information of 383 cases of Measles, compared with 1,174 in 1908, and these figures may be considered very favour able. Measles, at times, proves exceedingly disastrous to young lives, and no opportunity is lost, when signs of increased prevalence are noted, of excluding from school all children under the age of five. The compulsory notification of all Poor Law Cases of Phthisis was established under the provisions of the Public Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1908, and beneficial results may be expected from the same. Towards the end of the year the Notification of Births Act, 1907, was declared to be in operation within the Borough, and our opportunities of good work in relation to infants will be increased by the powers conferred by the Act, more particularly in the poorer parts of the Borough. I recommend for the consideration of your Council the question of appointing women health visitors to carry out the work which devolves upon the department under the Act. In addition to other work your women Inspectors have devoted much time to the inspection of workrooms, workplaces, and laundries in the Borough. During recent years the con ditions under which women work have been much improved. Special legislative power is much needed to prevent the use of underground rooms as workrooms or workplaces. With regard to schools, it is a curious anomaly that while the children of the poorer sections of the community are well