Mr. W. H. Power's report to the local government board on diphtheria at Hern Hill, in the Faversham rural sanitary district ; on the sanitary state of that district ; and on administration by the rural sanitary district.
- Power, W. H.
- Date:
- 1880
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Mr. W. H. Power's report to the local government board on diphtheria at Hern Hill, in the Faversham rural sanitary district ; on the sanitary state of that district ; and on administration by the rural sanitary district. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.
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![Outbreaks of Diphtheria in the Fourth Quarter of 1879. George Buchanan, Medical Department, lltli December, 1880. In pursuance of the instructions given me (February 3rd, 1880), “ to visit some of the “ sub-districts, in wliicli it appeared by the Registrar-Geuerars Returns for the fourth “ quarter of 1879, that tliere had been strongly localised outbreaks of diplitheria. in “ order to inquire as to the behaviour of this disease among small communities,” 1 now subinit the following report of my inquiries in eleven sulj-districts, in wliicli tlio mortality from tliphtheria during the quailer in question had ])oen, in proportion to the population, excessive. They were visited in the following order:— District. Sub-district. Rarisli. 1. 'Midhnrst - - Fernhurst - - Lnrgashall. 2. Dun mow - - Stcbbi.og - - Felstead 3. Ilosrncre - - Coddenhain - Henley and Barham. j X. Thrapstone - Raunds - Ruunds. 5. Clitheroc - - Chipping - - Chipping. 6. Carnarvon - LlaTiilwrog - Llanllyfhi and Llanw 7. Festiniog - Eeddgelert - Beddgelert. 8. B nil til - Builth - Llandewyrcwm. 9. Pembroke - - Tenby - /Manorbicr. 10. Haverfordwest - St. David’s - hlathry. 11. Bideford - - Hartland - - Woolfardisv/orthy. ng a survey of the results of tlie inquiries concerning are here reported on, reference will constantly be made to the “ Heads for local “ inquiry in districts where diphtheria has been epidemic,’’ * which were drawn up in 1859 by the Medical Officer of the Privy Council for the use of the inspectors of the Medical Department and of other local inquirers, in view of the then'recent and alarming prevalence of that disease. The main heads indicated in the Minute referred to Avere the folloAving :— 1. As regards the general features of the district. 2. As regards the duration, extent, and novelty of the epidemic in the district. 3. As regards contemporaneous or recent diseases in the district. 4. As regards local and personal conditions pre-disposing to diphtheria. 5. As regards the communicability of diphtheria. 6. uis regards the symptoms of diphtheria. 7. As regards the treatment of diphtheria. Under each heading were arranged certain definite ])oints for particular iiiquiry. Proceeding on these lines, a large amount of detailed information Avas gathered at that time, in 1859, AAdiich, thongli regarded by the Department as inconclusHe,| Avas especially A^aluable as relating to the earliest period of the modern diphtheiia-invasion, when in most of the districts visited there was no history of previous epidemics of the same disease. Since that Minute was issued, the field of inquiry with regard to the spread of in- fectious disease has been enlarged by the discoA^ery and establishment of the fact that, in the case of certain diseases, infection is spread by milk. This, therefore, becomes a point to be kept in AueAV in future inquiries. It suggests the addition to the above- mentioned scheme, of a separate heading, “ Indii’ect modes of spread of diphtheria.” Again, the progress of microscopic research has led to the identification of certain minute fungoid organisms (microzymes, micrococci, bacteria)! as constantly present in, and apparently causatAe of, certain infectious diseases. This discoA^ery opens a new line of inquiry, and suggests new points on vdiich information should be gathered, such as (besides the most minute attention to the drinking AAmter) microscopic examination of matters carried in the air, and relation of infection-spread (otherwise unaccountalile) to direction of preAmiling Avind. Referring to the “ Heads for Local Inqiiir}^ ” aboAm mentioned, the folloAving is a resume of the eAudence Avhich I collected. - Second Kcpori of the Jledical Officer of the Privy Council, 1859, p. 161, ct seq. j Tliird Report of the Medical Officer of the Privy Council, 1860, ]i. 13. J In respect of diphtheria, see Oertel in Ziemssen’s Cyclopicdia of Medicine (English Translation), vol. i., p. 587, ct seq., and Hueter and Tommasi, Centralblatt, 1868, No. 34. Q 2350. too & 150.—12/80. AVts. 6310 & 111G7. E. & S. A](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2499683x_0013.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
