London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Hampton 1911

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hampton]

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18
later, in May, another case occurred in a child attending
the Infants' School. No other case was notified until
November, when a child who did not attend school
developed the complaint. The child and the rest of the
household were injected. About the same time two
persons, a young man and a child, developed sore
throats of a suspicious character. They were at once
injected and the throats were swabbed, but the diphtheria
bacillus was not detected. Excluding the cases
occurring in the Scattered Homes, six were notified, only
two of these occurring in the same house. The others
appeared to have no connection with one another.
In this District most cases of suspicious sore throat
are at once injected with Antitoxin Serum and then
swabbed, and the swabbing sent to the Clinical Research
Association for examination. If the result turns out to
be negative, no harm results; if positive, great advantage
accrues by having the Antitoxin injected early.
Whenever a case of Diphtheria has been diagnosed,
I always recommend the rest of the household to be
prophylactically injected with small doses of Antitoxin
Serum.
34,000 units of Antitoxin Serum were used by your
Council during the year for these purposes.
ENTERIC AND PUERPERAL FEVER.
No cases were notified during the year.
ERYSIPELAS.
One case was notified. It is important persons in
contact with a case of Erysipelas should not attend
maternity cases. That is one reason why this disease
should continue to be notifiable.