London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Fulham 1933

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Fulham Borough]

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28
diphtheria compared with the patients themselves
and carriers, but thorough cleansing of infected
rooms and their contents is always advised and
disinfection of the rooms and their contents is a
routine procedure. The patient's bedding and
clothing are sent to the disinfecting station and
the rooms are fumigated or sprayed with formalin.
The efficacy of disinfection in preventing the
spread is liable to be exaggerated by the public.
Thorough cleansing by the families themselves is
of greater importance.
Healthy contacts do not as a rule spread the
disease but inquiries are made as to the degree of
contact with the patients and appropriate measures
are taken. All contacts are advised to be examined
by a doctor as they may be suffering from a mild
unrecognized attack and persons engaged in food
occupations or the handling of clothing are especially
urged to submit themselves for examination.
The Medical Officer of Health of a neighbouring
borough in which a contact works is advised in
such cases.
In a few instances symptoms of diphtheria,
e.g. nasal discharge, may reappear or persist
after apparent recovery and lead to another case
(return case) in the patient's home.
Many people have the idea that bad drains
and housing conditions are direct causes of infectious
diseases. This is of course erroneous.
Such conditions are liable to lower the resistance
to diseases of all types and have only an indirect
effect on the incidence of diphtheria or scarlet
fever. In Fulham, on the occurrence of infectious
diseases the homes of the patients are inspected
and the drains tested and defects are remedied as
a result of the inspections.
Anti-Toxic Serum. The introduction of antitoxin
for the treatment of diphtheria in 1894 by