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
Finsbury 1902
Report on the public health of 1902
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It will be understood that the above Table deals with articles which have been disinfected. The actual number of occupancies disinfected during the year are as follows:—
| Small-pox | Scarlet Fever | Diphtheria | Enteric Fever | Puerperal Fever | Disinfections at request of Occupiers for non-infectious Diseases | Erysipelas | Phthisis | Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35 | 25 | 28 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 12 | 105 |
| February | 49 | 30 | 17 | 6 | 1 | — | — | 8 | 111 |
| March | 30 | 18 | 15 | 4 | — | — | 1 | 7 | 75 |
| April | 11 | 28 | 16 | — | — | 1 | — | 11 | 67 |
| May | 10 | 31 | 18 | 2 | — | 1 | — | 8 | 70 |
| June | 3 | 30 | 16 | 10 | — | — | — | 4 | 63 |
| July | 29 | 38 | 28 | 16 | 2 | — | — | 11 | 124 |
| August | 6 | 32 | 23 | 4 | — | — | — | 8 | 73 |
| September | — | 51 | 13 | 15 | — | — | — | 10 | 89 |
| October | — | 36 | 17 | 14 | 2 | 1 | — | 10 | 80 |
| November | 1 | 20 | 19 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 5 | 49 |
| December | 1 | 12 | 17 | 8 | — | 1 | — | 17 | 56 |
| 175 | 351 | 227 | 85 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 111 | 962 |
We have practically discarded Sulphur as a disinfectant, using
Formic Aldehyde instead. Formic Aldehyde gas is produced by
burning tabloids (30 to every 1,000 cubic ft.) in a small
"alformant lamp." We have also used Lingners Formalin
apparatus in the case of Board Schools when necessary.
But against all gaseous disinfectants there is serious criticism.
By whatever method it is practised it may prove inefficient on
* This number refers to cases of disinfection done after the patients had
either died in the Borough or left the district, and does not relate to cases of
deaths which occurred outside the Borough.