[Report 1898] / Medical Officer of Health, Royal Leamington Spa Borough.

  • Leamington (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Report 1898] / Medical Officer of Health, Royal Leamington Spa Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Showing a Zymotic death-rate of o ■ g, double last year’s numbers. Of course, but for the increase in Diarrhoea, many of which cases, I have no1 doubt, were not of Zymotic origin, this death-rate would have remained a very low one. From enquiries of medical men working among the poorer classes, I think that the outbreak of Diarrhoea in August was due to the extremely hot and dry season, and consequent fermentation in foods. The decrease, too, in the desire of mothers to suckle their infants is an important factor in such outbreaks. The majority of the sufferers are hand-fed. DISEASES. Small Pox. This was not reported during the year. Fortunately, Leamington has been hitherto a well-vaccinated Borough, and Small Pox has had no fears for us, as shown by the manner in which the disease, when introduced from Birmingham in 1894, was at once stamped out. Now, however, in consequence of the new Vaccination Act, parents delay the vaccination of their children. At the end of December, 1898, about 300 children in Leamington remained unvaccinated. I am informed on good authority that fully 80 per cent, or more of these will be submitted to the Public Vaccinator later on. I understand that only two persons got the benefit of the Conscience Clause during the year. The public must remember that the Navy, Army, Post Office, Prison, and like Government Services, do not admit unvaccinated candidates. Again, in many foreign countries an unvaccinated person may not put foot. In my opinion, large employers of indoor labour should be chary of having “ unprotected persons ” on their premises. I hope that Leamington will still retain her high place as the best vaccinated Health Resort in England. Scarlet Fever (Scarlatina). 100 cases came to my knowledge, pretty well distributed over the various Wards. Naturally, Milverton Ward suffered least. The disease was not of severe type: hence all the more difficult to tackle. Mild cases escape notice, and so the cases kept on cropping up. I had not occasion to ask for the closure of any school. Only one death was reported to me, in North-East Ward, and two deaths occurred in Heathcote Hospital, outside the Borough.
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