View report page

93
Whooping Cough.
This disease is most infectious in the early catarrhal or preparoxysmal
stage and the infectious stage usually lasts for a period
of six weeks from the time of the commencement of these symptoms.
To control the spread of infection early diagnosis and isolation
are necessary. Early diagnosis before the appearance of the
characteristic whoop is possible by the examination of petri dishes
containing a suitable culture medium upon which a suspected
patient has coughed. Colonies of this bacilli can be recognised
macroscopically and the organism identified by microscopical
examination. Prophylactic vaccination is stated to be useful in
modifying the severity of the subsequent attack. The injection of
serum of a whooping cough convalescent or of a person who has had
whooping cough at some time during his life is reported as resulting
in complete or partial protection in a large proportion of instances.
In 1935 401 cases came to the notice of the Health Department
through the agency of the School Authorities, which were visited
by the Health Visitors and Sanitary Inspectors. At these visits the
parents were advised as to the infectious nature of the disease and
of the necessity for isolation of the patient. Home nursing treatment
was offered to those patients who required it and arrangements
were made for removal of the patient to hospital where the illness
was severe in character.
Eighty-two patients were removed to hospital for treatment.
There can be little doubt that admission to hospital offers a much
greater chance of recovery, and a strong case can be made out
for an extension of hospital facilities for these sufferers.
At the present moment the certificate of a registered medical
practitioner is not sufficient to secure the admission of a patient
to an L.C.C. Infectious Diseases Hospital, the sanction of the
Medical Officer of Health of the Metropolitan Borough must first
be obtained.
There is every prospect that in the near future the selection of
cases of whooping cough for hospital treatment will no longer
operate and patients will be admitted on the same footing as those
suffering from diphtheria or scarlet fever.

Influenza.
This disease did not assume epidemic proportions in 1935. The
number of deaths which took place during the year from this cause
numbered 20.