London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Islington 1910
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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1910] 114
that the virus is contained in the secretions from the nose, mouth, and ears,
while the old belief that it was spread by the desquamating skin has latterly
been discarded. Milk supplies have of course from time to time
been answerable for outbreaks, and in such cases it has been usually found
that the contamination was due to persons handling it while suffering from
the disease. It has also been traced to cows who themselves are suffering
from inflammatory diseases of the udder. There has been a suggestion that
the micro-organism of the disease may be dormant in the mucous membrane
of the throat, until inflammation has been set up by some cause.
| No. of cases. | 1 case in one house. | 2 cases in one house. | 3 cases in one house. | 4 cases in one house. | 6 cases in one house. | 6 cases in one house. | No. of houses infected in 1910. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | ||||||||
Hospital Isolation.—As many as 690 cases out of a total of 730 known
were isolated. In other words 94.5 per cent, were removed from their homes.
The Medical Officer of Health cannot refrain from remarking that many of
these cases might reasonably have remained at home to be nursed, and tended
by their mothers; but apparently the general desire on the part of the parents
seems to be to get their patients removed as quickly as possible.
Fatality.—Of the 730 notified cases, only 11, or 1.5 per cent. died,
which was the lowest fatality rate hitherto recorded in the borough. It is
interesting to note that from 1891 to 1900 the fatality rate was 3.3 per cent.,
and from 1901 to 1910, 2.4.