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

Hackney 1914

Report on the sanitary condition of the Hackney District for the year 1914

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Table: Of the families in which cases of diphtheria occurred, the total of which was 91, there was only one family purchasing such clothing. This gives a rate of 1.1 per cent, of the total. If these two classes of families are added together we get a total of 179 families, four of which clothe their children with second-hand garments yielding a proportion of 2 2 per cent. These facts will be clearer if set out in tabular form, as under:—

Of the families in which cases of diphtheria occurred, the total of which was 91, there was only one family purchasing such clothing. This gives a rate of 1.1 per cent, of the total. If these two classes of families are added together we get a total of 179 families, four of which clothe their children with second-hand garments yielding a proportion of 2 2 per cent. These facts will be clearer if set out in tabular form, as under:—

Number of Families of Verminous Children.Number of Families of Non-Verminous Children amongst whom Cases occurred of—Remarks.
Scarlet Fever.Diphtheria.Total.
Number of Cases investigated.2808891179—
Number of Families where Parents bought secondhand clothing for their Children.129314-
Percentage of Families wearing second - hand clothing.48%3.4%1.1%2 2%-

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It may be assumed (a) That where second-hand clothes, which
are occasionally infected with lice or their nits are customarily
worn, repeated infection will occur after cleansing, (b) That if
second-hand clothes are a source of vermin infection, repeated infection
would be more frequent amongst the children customarily
wearing them, than amongst families wearing only new or first-hand
clothes. Let us see if there is any evidence in this way implicating
second-hand clothes.
In the following table, I give an analysis of the total number
of visits made by the inspectors to the homes of infected children
during the five months—January to May inclusive—upon the
request of the Medical Officer (Education) of the'London County

Table: Council, more than one visit indicating a re-infection:—

Council, more than one visit indicating a re-infection:—

Number of Homes receiving One Visit from the Inspector.Number of Homes receiving Two Visits from the Inspector.Number of Houses receiving Three Visits from the Inspector.Number of Homes receiving Four Visits fro m the Inspector.Percentage of Re-infections.
Non - purchasers of second-hand clothes138121—9.2%
Purchasers of secondhand clothes.10318712.71%