Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health 1906 / Wanstead U.D.C.

  • Wanstead (London, England). Urban District Council.
Date:
[1907]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health 1906 / Wanstead U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ZYMOTIC DISEASE, vide Table III. The death rate per 1,000 from the seven principal Zymotic diseases was *037. Diphtheria. Scarlet Fever. Enteric Fever. Varicella. Royal Merchant Seamens’ Orphanage ... — — — 7 Infant Orphans’ Asylum ... 22 1 — 7 Wanstead . 6 85 3 9 SCARLET FEVER AND DIPHTHERIA.—The variation in the notification of these two diseases is somewhat remarkable. Year. Scarlet Fever. Diphtheria. 1905 33 27 1906 85 (Aug. 6 ; Oct. & 6 Nov. 6 ; Dec. 50.) [ Vide Table III.] In the last month there was a rapid wave of Scarlet Fever, not confined to Wanstead only. Influenza, which was prevalent in March, x4pril and May, became very prevalent in December. There can be no question about this, that cases of mistaken Influenza were largely productive of the spread of Scarlet Fever ; so much so, that there were vague rumours of a new disease !—the existence of which, so far as I am aware, was fallacious. I could record many instances where, when the medical attendant diagnosed a case of Scarlet Fever, it was found that one or two more in the house were suffering from the same disease in a desquamating stage—some even going up to London daily. Acting on private information, I found that a milkman was delivering milk whilst desquamating ; but it was an act of ignorance on his part. In another case, a woman actually sent her servant to the doctor through the street whilst out full in Scarlet Fever, and I had it on the authority of the mistress herself that she knew it. Had it not been for very exceptional circumstances, I would have dealt