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
Lambeth 1917
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lambeth, Metropolitan Borough of]
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65
DISINFECTING DEPARTMENT, 1917.
Details of work done in connection with the Disinfecting Department
are subjoined. A total of 8078 cases of infectious
diseases, notified compulsorily by medical men, was reported and
dealt with, including cases of cerebro-spinal fever (31), acute
polio-myelitis (9), ophthalmia neonatorum" (67), measles (3,224),
German measles (1,241), whooping cough (902), and tuberculosis
—pulmonary (1,086) and non-pulmonary (444), whilst the following
diseases were, in addition, notified by school teachers and
others, viz.: measles (763), chicken-pox (524), cancer (73),
whooping cough (368), verminous houses (126), verminous rooms
(465), verminous bedding (2,126 articles), or clothing (1,244
articles), and others (948*). 1,338 patients were removed to
hospital.
| Total No. of rooms disinfected by Council | 13132 |
| Do. articles do | 24988 |
| Cases in which bedding was disinfected at home† | 5666 |
| Do. do. do. at Chamber | 2195 |
| Do. ' do. do. destroyed (428§ articles) | 53 |
| Premises disinfected and disinfectants supplied | 18381 |
| Articles of bedding, etc. disinfected | 24988 |
| Articles of bedding, etc. destroyed | 428 |
| No. of Cleansing Notices served in connection with infected houses | 1003 |
| Certificates of Medical Practitioners received in lieu of disinfection by the Council | 97 |
| Schools disinfected‡ (83 rooms) | 13 |
| Certificates of disinfection left with occupiers of disinfected premises | 7919 |
| Library books disinfected (public) | 234 |
| Mattresses re-tabbed by Council | 407 |
* Scabies, ringworm, diseases not stated, etc.
† The number is increased, compared with previous years, owing to bedding
no longer being removed to the disinfecting station in the cases of Measles,
Chicken-pox and Whooping Cough.
§ 97 certificates of medical practitioners received in lieu of official
disinfection.
‡ Measles 12 (82 rooms), and diphtheria 1 (1 room).