Dr. S.W. Wheaton's report to the Local Government Board on diphtheria in the borough of Wrexham / [S.W. Wheaton].

  • Wheaton, S. W.
Date:
1897
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. S.W. Wheaton's report to the Local Government Board on diphtheria in the borough of Wrexham / [S.W. Wheaton]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    f . ,. , , In addition to the influence of attendance at school in spreading diphtheria it became evident, as I found as the result of inquiry, that the disease had to a certain extent been spread by personal infection in households. This personal infection was due either to close relation with the sufferer of members of the same household, or to mixing together of children who were suffering from mild, or unrecognised, attacks of diphtheria with other children in yards and streets where children played together. The fact that a greater amount of diphtheria did not occur in these circumstances may be accounted for by the activity of the Town Council in removing sufferers to hospital, and in carrying out disinfecting operations. The usual procedure with regard to disinfection has been as follows —On the removal of the sufferer to hospital, or on his or her recovery, the room occupied by the sufferer during illness is fumigated by burning sulphur. During the latter part of the diphtheria prevalence the use of sulphur has been discontinued, and oil of f anitas has been evaporated by means of heat in the room. All clothing worn by the sufferer during the illness, and the bedding, have been allowed to remain in the room during the fumigation process, and have afterwards been removed for disinfection by heat in the disinfector at the hospital. After fumigation the room, if it appeared to be dirty, has been limewashed and the walls stripped and repapered; but where the room appeared to be clean nothing has been done to the walls and ceiling after the fumigation. Garbo]ic powder has been supplied to householders of infected dwellings, along with instructions that it should be placed in the water in which the sufferer’s clothes were to be washed, and also thrown down drains and water-closets. There has been no flushing or cleansing by disinfectant of yards attached to infected dwellings, nor systematic removal of the contents of ashpits from such dwellings immediately after the occurrence of the infectious illness. , , The Medical Officer of Health has in some instances given verbal instruc¬ tions as to measures to be taken for avoidance of personal infection, where sufferers from diphtheria were cared for in their homes, but chiefly only to those who were his patients. No printed instructions for avoidance of infection in dwellings, and lor disinfection, have been issued. The disinfec¬ tion of dwellings and clothing has been carried out, under the superintendence of the Inspector of Nuisances, by an employe of the Town Council, free of charge to householders. The Infectious Disease (Notification) Act, 1889, was adopted by the Town Council in 1889. No measures have been taken for the notification to school teachers by the Medical Officer of Health, or by the school teachers to the Medical Officer of Health, of the occurrence of infectious illness among scholars, or in families members of which were attending schools. The parents of families in which infectious illness has arisen are given verbal notice to withdraw the children from school so long as the infectious illness exists in the household, and as long as the sufferer is not declared free from infection by the medical attendant. Where a child attending school has suffered from infectious illness, such as diphtheria, the parents are, as a rule, advised not to allow the child to return until seven days have elapsed subsequent to its recovery and declaration of freedom from infection by a medical man. There was, however, one flaw in the disinfecting operations as carried out. Where sufferers from diphtheria were not removed to hospital, disinfection was only carried out by the officers of the Town Council on the receipt of written notice from the householder or from the medical attendant that the sufferer was convalescent, and that the premises were ready for disinfection. As the result of inquiry I found that in several instances this notice had not been given. Consequently the disinfection was carried out by the house¬ holder, or other person in charge of the sufferer, only, and often was imperfectly done. For assistance in the course of the investigation I am indebted to Mr. R. W. J. Evans, Medical Officer of Health for the Borough of Wrexham, and to Dr. E. Davies, Medical Officer of Health for the Wrexham Rural District; also to Mr. Moore, the Inspector of Nuisances for the Borough of Wrexham. S. W. WHEATON. June, 1897.