View report page

INFECTIOUS DISEASES NOT NOTIFIABLE IN
CAMBERWELL.
Whooping Cough.
During the year 1933 351 visits were paid by the women
Sanitary Inspectors to 440 cases of whooping-cough which came to
the knowledge of the Health Department through the agency of
the School Authorities and Health Visitors. Eighty-four of the
cases were removed to hospitals of the London County Council and
in four instances home nursing assistance was provided by the
Council.
Whooping-cough still remains a very important cause of child
mortality. The deaths from this disease numbered as many as 20.
The Health Department is handicapped in its efforts to control
the sickness and mortality arising from this disease by the apathy
of the lay public, who still persist in not regarding it as a serious
illness likely to result in subsequent impairment of health and loss
of resistance to other maladies, if not in death.
For many years a pamphlet has been distributed by the
Health Visitors for the purpose of instructing the public as to
the extreme infectivity of whooping-cough, and the necessity for
early medical attention before complications have developed.
Measles.
The Public Health Department is mainly dependent on the
School Authorities for information as to the existence of measles.
The number of cases brought to the notice of the department
during 1933 was 548. All reported cases were visited either by a
Health Visitor or the women Sanitary Inspectors. 147 patients
were removed to hospitals of the London County Council and in
10 cases nursing assistance was provided by the Council. Four deaths
occurred from this disease during 1933.
Measles-warning leaflets were distributed throughout the year
by the Health Visitors and in November, when this disease began to
assume epidemic proportions, the Head Teachers were asked to
arrange for a similar distribution to the parents of children attending
London County Council Schools.
Measles Scheme of Control.
Epidemics of this disease occur about every two years in
London.
With the object of reducing the mortality and mitigating the
complications associated with measles epidemics, the close cooperation
of the authorities concerned in providing early information
of cases and the application of measures to secure prompt and
effective treatment is imperative.