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
Tottenham 1921
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Tottenham District]
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29
Infectious Disease.
Notifications under the Infectious Disease Notification Acts, 18891899,
were received in respect of the following diseases occurring
amongst children of school age, with the noted frequency :—
Scarlet Fever 758
Diphtheria 372
Enteric Fever 2
Measles 73
Cerebro Spinal Fever 1
Erysipelas 7
| Measles | 94 | Rash | 17 |
| Mumps | 554 | Sore Throat | 143 |
| Whooping Cough | 480 | Tuberculosis | 12 |
| Chicken Pox | 454 | Influenza | 76 |
| Scarlet Fever | 572 | Eye Diseases | 22 |
| Diphtheria | 249 | Ringworm of Head | 78 |
| Scabies | 123 | Ringworm of Body | 21 |
| Skin Diseases | 39 | Sores and Eczema | 243 |
| Verminous | 25 | Impetigo | 12 |
| Tonsillitis | 44 | Other Diseases | 409 |
| Chorea | 24 | Children excluded owing to disease in house | 848 |
| Pneumonia | 4 |
These cases were followed up by the School Nurses and were not
re-admitted to school until they were free from infection and the possibility
of communicating the disease to others.
Bacteriological Examinations.— Swabs have been taken from
children discharged from Isolation Hospital after diphtheria, and from
children who have been in contact with cases of diphtheria, and examined
bacteriologically. 2,014 such examinations were made, 133 were found
to be positive, 1,881 negative, and 132 contained bacteria morphologically
similar to Klebs Lœffler bacilli.
Microscopical Examinations.— Hairs were taken from children who
were suspected to be suffering from ringworm in 181 instances and submitted
to microscopical examination. 105 were positive.