[Report 1898] / Medical Officer of Health, Penzance U.D.C. / Borough.
- Penzance (England). Urban District Council.
- Date:
- 1898
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1898] / Medical Officer of Health, Penzance U.D.C. / Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![[5] in the years of the larger returns. In many cases that I saw, the inception and continuance of the Diarrhoea was associated with improper feeding. In the majority of the.se, nature’s fount, the breast, had been prematurely supplemented or supplanted by “ Infants’ Foods,” farinaceous stuffs, or “ pickings of what we belong to have ourselves.” I would take this opportunity of corroborating all that has recently been said as to the great and irremediable injur}' done to childhood by deplorable ignorance in the matter of the dieting of infants. In other ca.ses that I have seen, a lack of promptness on the part of parents in realizing the special danger of Diarrhoea at a season of epidemic has appeared to delay reasonable treatment, and to have determined a fatal end in cases which it is almost certain would otherwise have been saved. Whooping Cough. Whooping Cough has been prevalent during the last five months of the year, and has been attended by nine deaths of young children. It is strange that many parents regard with indifference, and oppose with such little care, the progress of one of the deadliest diseases among children. Notifiable Diseases. One imported case of Measles was notified in April, but does not appear to have been followed by any others. Twenty cases of Scarlatina were reported during the year; most seem to have been of separate origin. One case, in a child, was fatal. Two were removed to the Borough Isolation Hospital, whence one after three weeks’, the other after six-and-half weeks’ stay, were di.scharged convalescent. In all cases teachers of Schools were advi.sed, and children of the affected households excluded for proper periods. The boarding-out of worlcers from within the household and compen¬ sation for isolation of guardians of the sick were also, where necessary, arranged. The Librarian of the Free Library was advised in all cases as to issue and return of books. Thirteen cases of Erysipelas were notified, and in the case of a person at 82 years of age death was attributed to this cause. Three cases of Typhoid Fever were notified, one resulting in the death of an infant at 21 months of age. No cause of infection or insanitary conditions were found in the case of either. Tuberculosis. The question of the prevention and treatment of this widespread and fatal disease has been attracting of late the especial attention of the medical and of the lay mind. Important points involved are—(i) prevention of infection from cattle; (2) check of spread from human beings; (3) erection of Sanatoria for treat¬ ment of patients.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29986655_0013.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
