London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Carshalton 1897
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Carshalton]
This page requires JavaScript
(4)
5. Of Diphtheria two eases were notified, viz., one in March at Carshalton-on-the-Hill, and one in
August at a house in the Carshalton Road. In the latter case the patient was attacked with "sorethroat
" while on a visit in another part of the County, and, on his return home, the nature of the illness
could only be diagnosed after a bacteriological examination.
6. Of
| Situation of Premises. | Persons attacked. | Dates of attacks. | Remarks. |
|---|---|---|---|
| At the back of the Church. | A woman. | October. | One of the children had just previously returned from Guy's Hospital, where the illness for which he had been admitted there was said to have been typhoid fever. Offensive cesspit privy on premises. Water got from watercourse at back. Patient was removed to the Joint Hospital. |
| High Street. | Child, Aged 4. | November. | Patient was removed to the Joint Hospital. Foul cesspit privy on premises. Sink drainage defective. |
| Wandle Mount. | Boy, Aged 12. | December. | Patient was admitted into the Croydon General Hospital for "tubercular meningitis," but the disease proved to be enteric fever, and he was then removed to the Croydon Borough Isolation Hospital. Offensive hand-flushed W.C. House drain defective and not ventilated. |
| West Street. | Youth, Aged 20. | December. | Patient was removed to the Joint Hospital and died there after the end of the year. Illness might have been contracted in London, where he worked daily. |
7. Diarrhcea, which was very fatally prevalent among infants last summer in some other parts of
the county, caused 15 deaths, 14 of which were among childreu under five years of age.
The total deaths from the "Seven Principal Zymotic Diseases" were 17 in number—viz., two from
Scarlet Fever and 15 from Diarrhoea—and were at the rate of 2.9 per 1,000 of the population. In other
portions of the Surrey Combined Sanitary District the highest Zymotic Death-rate was 2.5, and the
lowest was nil.
(See also Tables III., IV., and VI. at the end of the Report.)
As regards the other infectious diseases which have to be notified under the above-mentioned Act:
No case of Membranous Croup or "Continued Fever" was notified. Of Puerperal Fever one case, which
ended fatally, was notified in April. Of Erysipelas there were two cases, one in July and one in October.
The following is a summary of the further action which was taken for preventing the spread of some
of these diseases:—The houses infected with Enteric Fever, Scarlet Fever, or Diphtheria were visited
by the Inspector and myself; isolation of the sick was inculcated, and was assisted by the removal of 31
to an isolation hospital; disinfectants for use during illness were supplied and their proper use
explained; all nuisances and sanitary defects discovered upon the premises were remedied as far as was
practicable; and, after the death, removal, or recovery of the sick, formal notices to cleanse and disinfect
the infected rooms and their contents were, in 21 instances, served on the owners or occupiers. From
the houses of the poor the infected bedding was removed and was disinfected by Mr. R. F. Hollo way, of
Hackbridge, at the expense of the District Council.
The Joint Isolation Hospital on Cuddington Downs, for the use of persons residing in this district,
and in the Epsom Rural, the Sutton Urban, and the Leatherhead Urban, Districts, was opened for the
reception of patients on October 28, and the number of those who were removed into it from this
District has already been stated.
Ill—Summary of other Sanitary Proceedings, &c., which were taken
during the year.
1. The Council this year contracted for the weekly removal of house refuse from premises in their
district, instead of for its fortnightly removal as in previous years, with the result that few complaints
were made of its non-removal.