[Report 1936] / Medical Officer of Health, Fife County Council.

  • Fife (Scotland). County Council.
Date:
1936
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1936] / Medical Officer of Health, Fife County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Voluntarily ; those sent by general practitioners numbered 50, whil 5 were recommended by Parish Medical Officers, 6 by Area Medics ] Officers, and 3 by the Medical Officer of Health, Dunfermline. Detai of the various areas from which recruitment Was made are set ou with other figures, in an appendix to this report. Classification of New Cases.—The total number added to the regist< j during the year includes a certain number of double infections an 56 persons who were found to be healthy, or who suffered from cond . tions not venereal in origin ; including these latter and arising out < * the occurrence of the former, 182 “ clinical cases ” were yielded by tl ' 180 persons who reported. The percentages which follow are calculate* in conformity with the statistical requirements of the annual retui to the Department of Health for Scotland, on the basis of “ clinic i cases.” Syphilis.—Cases of syphilis comprised 12-63 per cent, of the year total. Of the 23 cases there were 7 congenital in origin—discovered ; approximately aged 12 years in 3 cases, age 20 years in 2 cases, ai at age 32 years in 2 cases. In 2 cases the disease affected predominant the mouth and throat, in 2 cases bone and joint tissues, in 1 case tl eye, and in 2 cases the central nervous system. The treatment of cases of congenital syphilis is prolonged but whe obvious lesions are present—as in all the above—the results are mo than gratifying and, as examples, there may be cited the saving vision in one case of eye disease, and the complete recovery of paralys in the two cases of central nervous disease ; in one of these latte'/ paresis of an arm of seven years duration was completely relieve , within as many weeks. Treatment must, of course, be continued loi after all symptoms of disease have disappeared, and has, as the obje of its continuation, not mere symptomatic cure, but the comple extermination of the virus of infection. Of acquired syphilis there Were 16 cases. Syphilis, in the acquir form, presents certain stages which, although not always sharj: demarcated, serve to define the various phases through which infectic during its long course, may pass. In the interests of perspective may be appropriate to summarise these stages :— (1) Primary.—The disease is localised to the immediate neig bourhood of its portal of entry ; characteristic lesion is t: chancre. (2) Secondary.—Rapidly follows the chancre ; the infection hi now broken bounds and, entering first the lymph, and tin the blood stream, is carried throughout the body : chan teristic are enlargement of lymph glands and lesions :