[Report 1929] / Medical Officer of Health, Darlington County Borough.

  • Darlington (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1929
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1929] / Medical Officer of Health, Darlington County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    16/138 (page 14)
    Scarlet Fever.—Of the 158 cases notified, 153 or 96.7% were treated in the Hospital. Diagnosis was revised in 10 cases. There were no deaths. The disease was more severe than the mild form which has been so prevalent in recent years. The use of the new treatment with anti-scarlatinal streptococcal serum in the early severe cases has reduced not only the incidence of the many complications, but also the duration of stay in Hospital. The apparent expense of the serum is therefore more than balanced by the reduction in mortality and maintenance costs. The serum is also a definite protective for contacts for at least four weeks after injection. The chief complications noted among the 143 correct diag- noses were :—Otorrhoea 18 ; Endocarditis 19 ; Adenitis 16 ; Albuminuria 8. Diphtheria.—Of the 138 notified cases 134 were treated in Hos})ital. There were 7 deaths in Hospital, and 1 at home. The disease was of a somewhat less severe type than last year when there were ten deaths. Tlie operation of tracheotomy was per- i formed in three instances for laryngeal obstruction as a surgical li emergency. Paralysis was evident in 18 eases. Diphtheria anti-toxin is supplied to general practitioners for | their use in urgent cases, or while awaiting the result of bacterio- i logical examinations. Twelve doses were provided, totalling,;! 60,000 units. The Dick and Schick tests for susceptibility to Scarlet Feverr|! and Diphtheria respectively were not brought into use, though in :i the event of increased virulence or incidence of either of these.ij diseases I would strongly recommend their application, with the fi subsequent immunization of those persons who were found to be-J i susceptible. In any case every sensible parent shoidd see thatii; tliis reasonable protection is put into service by their privateyj medical attendant when so advised. Measles and German Measles.—These diseases exhibit a ])eculiarly regidar wave of periodicity in alternate years, with a; i larger wave super-imposed about once in every seven years. Last year Darlington had 1,109 notified cases with only four n deaths, a surprisingly and most satisfactory low figure in com{)ari- i son with neighbouring towns. Each case is visited and supervised for at least a fortnight by one of our Health Visitors as only the first ease occurring in a household within two months is notified Two cases were treated in the Isolation Hospital. l.