[Report 1896] / Medical Officer of Health, Chelmsford Borough.

  • Chelmsford (England). Borough Council
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Report 1896] / Medical Officer of Health, Chelmsford Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    8/20 page 6
    no isolation at all. In these cases I consider that removal to the Infectious Hospital should be compulsory. The total number of deaths from Diphtheria is six, giving a death rate of -51 per 1,000. Six patients suffering from Diphtheria were removed to the Infectious Hospital. All of these cases were examined Bacteriologically, four giving the Klebs-Loeffler Bacillus. Typhoid Fever. The total number of cases notified during the past year was 36, of which 33 occurred in the South Ward and three in the North Ward. This number is greatly in excess of 1895, when the notified cases number 17, of which 16 cases occurred in the South Ward. During the months of July and August a sudden out- break of Typhoid Fever occurred, and here I will quote the late Medical Officer’s observations : “ The outbreak is confined to the South Ward, and chiefly situated in Moulsham Street, Bridge Bow, and Writtle Street. The cause of the outbreak is not yet known, but the disease takes a tolerably well defined course. I suspect the water supply. The milk supply has been carefully enquired into, but there are so many different supplies, and so many houses are supplied with milk from more than one dairy, that it is difficult to arrive at a certain conclusion, but all enquiries tend to disprove that the outbreak could be induced by milk. Recommended and carried out that the drains in the South Ward should be well flushed, and that disinfectants should be poured down.” In connection with this outbreak Dr. Carter reports that he brought before the Committee the inadequate accommo- dation of the Infectious Hospital. A Sub-Committee was formed for the purpose of going into the matter, but it never met. On July 7th, the Hospital was full, and he suggested at a Special Committee Meeting that one of three courses be adopted :—
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3