[Report 1950] / Medical Officer of Health, Thornbury R.D.C.

  • Thornbury (Gloucestershire, England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1950
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1950] / Medical Officer of Health, Thornbury R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Whooping Cough During the year this area has been comparatively free from infectious disease except for an undue prevalence of Whooping Cough. There were 182 cases notified by General Practitioners and there may have been milder cases not seen by the Doctor and therefore not notified. The notifications were continuous right through the year and reports from General Practitioners show that the disease was mild in character with few complica¬ tions. However, it must not be forgotten that Whooping Gougli is a disease of childhood which can do untold harm. It often leaves a weakness in the lungs predisposing to attacks of Asthma, Bronchitis and even Tuberculosis. Only one case of this disease had to he removed to itospilal. This was a male child of 9 months. The age groups are interesting: — Under 1 year 1 year old 2 years old 3 years old 4—5 years old 6—9 years old ]0-45 years old Total • •• • 12 cases 14 cases 19 cases 33 cases 54 cases 45 cases 5 cases 182 cases It is obvious from these figures that Whooping Gough mostly affects children under 10 years, and that infection may therefore spread through close contact at Child Welfare Centres and Infant Schools as well as at Sunday Schools and other sundry places where children at that age gather together. Parents have a tremendous responsibility in stopping the spread of infection by prompt calling-in of their General Practitioner and keeping the child isolated as much as possible until the whooping and other symptoms have cleared up. Unfortunately the early symptoms of the disease are so mild in these days that mothers are neglectful of isolation and so the epidemic progresses. A child does not need to whoop to be diagnosed as Whooping Cough. 1 think that if a child is waking up at night and coughing in spasms followed by vomiting then in most cases it should be diagnosed as Whooping Cough and the child isolated. 18
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