[Report 1905] / Medical Officer of Health, Repton R.D.C.

  • Repton (England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1905
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1905] / Medical Officer of Health, Repton R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    13/26 (page 13)
    TJic Isolation Hospital. As before stated, 89 cases of Scarlet Fever were notified during the year. Of tliese, 76 were removed to the Isolation Hospital. Of the 29 cases of Diphtheria, 5 wei't* admitted to the hospital. J'fesides the cases belonging to our own district we had a case of Scarlet Fever from the Dorough of Derby, and two cases of ])iphtheria from the Ashbourne district. One death from Sca.rlet Fever (that of an infant ten months old), and one death from Di[)h- theria occuiied during the year. The remaining 82 cases were dischai'gt'd perfectly recovei-ed. Several of the cases of Scarlet Fevei- appeared to he “return” cases; hut I believe if our instructions given to the custodians of the discharged cases wei’e carried out in their entirety, there would he no “ return ” cases. Sometimes it happens tliat owing to limited accommodation the partial isolation which \ve recommend after discharge from the hospital cannot he cai ried out. It has been our custom till quite recently to give the })atient we ai-e about to discharge a disinfecting hath the same day. As they are generally taken home in an open conveyance, summer and winter, the exposure to cold immediately after the hath occasionally gives the patietit “ cold,” and it is just possible that the nasal discliarge which accompanies it may contain germs of the disease. To avoid this we now' give the final hath the evening before the case is sent out, keeping the patient in the interval free from inf(‘cted air and suri’oundings. Before cases cf Diphtheria are discharged, “ swabs ” are sent for bacteriological examination, and if reported to he free fi'om the diphtheria bacillus the cases are sent home, hut if doubtful tluiy are kept another w'eek and the mucous again examined. This process is repeated until a sjitisiactory r(q)ort is obtained. We had no “ return ” diphtheria cases. It is only in verv exceptional cases tluit w'e ta.ke Diphthei'ia, a,s it ca,n gene.rall\’ hn as well tu'eated at home. The aveiiige stay of the patients in I lx? hospital w'as 6 w'eeks and 6 days.