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
Camberwell 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell.
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83
Enteric Fever.
During the year two cases of typhoid fever and five cases of
paratyphoid B were notified. All these patients were removed to
hospital for treatment and one case terminated fatally. The
source of infection in this disease is usually an article of food or
drink becoming infected by the dejecta of a patient or carrier and
consumed with possibly unfortunate consequences to the person
concerned.
ENTERIC FEVER CASES TABLE.
| Sex. | Age. | Date of Notification. | Notified as | Results of Bacteriological Examination. | Source of Infection. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | 8/12 | 7/2/37 | Para-typhoid. | Bac. Para. "B" | – |
| F | 12 | 5/3/37 | Do. | Do. | – |
| F | 35 | 10/3/37 | Do. | Do. | – |
| M | 3 | 6/8/37 | Do. | Do. | – |
| M | 22 | 8/9/37 | Typhoid. | Bac. typhosus "O"+"H" | – |
| F | 45 | 15/11/37 | Para-typhoid. | Bac. Para. "B" | – |
| M | 11 | 16/11/37 | Typhoid. | Bac. Typhosus. | Boarder at a Croydon School during epidemic. |
Cerebro-Spinal Fever.
Fourteen cases of this disease were notified during 1937 and
every patient was removed to hospital for treatment. There were
seven deaths of which three were cases which had not been notified
to this Department.
Dysentery
The number of cases of dysentery notified during the year was
21 as compared with 3 cases in 1936. Seventeen cases were removed
to hospital for treatment. In the majority of cases the attack was
mild in nature. All the notified cases were probably due to the
Sonne Bacillus although bacteriological confirmation of the presence
of the dysentery bacillus in the stools was only established in 17
cases.
A small outbreak of this disease occurred in a children's ward
at a local L.C.C. Hospital.
When dysentery occurs in a hospital it is extremely difficult
to prevent its spread.