[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Enfield UDC 1910].

  • Enfield (London, England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1911
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Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Enfield UDC 1910]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    43/54 (page 37)
    APPENDIX. Public Offices, Enfield. SPECIAL REPORT. March 9th, 1910. To the Chairman and Members of the Urban District Council of Enfield Gentlemen, As one of the cases of Diphtheria now reported is the third of a series in which I have found there has been direct communication between the patient and children who had some time previously suffered from Diphtheria, and were looked upon as recovered, but have been found to be the subjects of recurrent infection, I have thought it worth while to prepare the following special report. You are doubtless aware that the notification of every fresh case of Diphtheria forms the starting point of a strict investigation by me of all probable and possible causes of infection, as under the Order of the Local Government Board of March 23rd, 1891, it is part of the duty of the Medical Officer of Health “ to inquire into and ascertain by such means as are at his disposal, the causes, origin and distribution of disease within his district.” My experience in connection with Diphtheria, and especially during the late epidemic, has more and more forced me to the conclusion that it is to personal contact, rather than to any general or local insanitary conditions, that we must look for the determining factor in this disease, and that the few cases which now and again still crop up are due to that cause. The results of some investigations carried out by me I venture to think support this view, and are in my opinion sufficient]} interesting to warrant embodiment in this short special report. These refer to three families residing in different parts of the District, No. 1, in Town Ward, No. 2, in Bush Hill Park Ward, and No. 3, in Ordnance Ward. Particulars re W’s Cases. Town Ward. 1909. June 30. Jessie W., aged 9 years, notified with Diphtheria and moved to Hospital. July 3. Swab of Bertie—Negative. July 7. Swab of Mrs. W.—Negative.