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

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Holborn 1960

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

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20
Diseases Authority for Notification
Relapsing Fever Public Health (London) Act, 1936—Sections 192 and 304.
Scabies County of London (Scabies) Regulations, 1943.
Scarlet Fever Public Health (London) Act, 1936—Sections 192 and 304.
Smallpox Do.
Tuberculosis Public Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1952.
Typhoid Fever Public Health (London) Act, 1936—Sections 192 and 304.
(Including Paratyphoid)
Typhus Fever Do.
Whooping Cough County of London (Measles and Whooping Cough)
Regulations, 1938 to 1948.
For each of the above a fee of 2/6d. is payable by the Local Authority to the medical
practitioner if the case occurs in his private practice, or 1/- if the case occurs in his practice
as medical officer of a public body or institution.
Notifications
During the year 128 cases of infectious disease were notified, of which 45 were removed
to hospital. These are tabulated in the age groups (see Table No. 6, page 22). Comparative
figures of infectious disease for the years 1931-1960 are also shown (see Table No. 7,
pages 24 and 25).
No cases of Diphtheria, Enteric fever, Erysipelas, Malaria, Ophthalmia Neonatorum,
Puerperal Pyrexia or Smallpox were notified during the year.
Dysentery
Forty-one cases were notified and nine were removed to hospital. Eight cases
were the result of an outbreak of Shigella sonnei infection in the Kingsway Creche.
Numerous swabs were taken and examined by the Public Health Laboratory, County
Hall, the positive cases being excluded from the Creche under care of their own doctors
until three consecutive negative specimens had been produced.
Food Poisoning
Six cases were notified and five of them were removed to hospital. In three of these
cases the patient was not resident in Holborn.
Ten members of the staff of an hotel were taken ill. Five of them were admitted
to hospital where they were found to be suffering from food poisoning due to Salmonella
Typhimurium. None of them were kitchen staff and no guests were reported to be
affected. The source of infection is thought to have been a lamb stew served to some of
the staff on the previous day.
With the co-operation of the general practitioners involved it was possible to ensure
that none of those affected returned to duty until they were free from infection.
No secondary cases occurred.