London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
St Pancras 1903
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, London, Borough of]
This page requires JavaScript
51
The work done by the Council's disinfectors is: (1) removal of the infected
bedding and clothing, and other articles, to the chamber for disinfection, and
of useless articles to the furnace for destruction; (2) spraying the wall paper
and surfaces of the room; (3) fumigating the interior of the room; (4)
thoroughly airing or perflating the room, leaving the washing of the paint
and woodwork, floor and furniture, to the housewife to do in the ordinary
course of cleaning. In order to encourage this cleansing, there is left with
the occupier a tin of soft soap, which is one of the very best cleansers and
disinfectants. An additional disinfecting sprayer was later on purchased for
use in large rooms, or in case of temporary disablement of one of the sprayers.
CONTACTS' SHELTER.
The following table shows the number of persons taking warm baths (including the cleansing of hair and nails) and having their clothes disinfected at the Contacts' Shelter.
Number of Contacts bathed and disinfected.
| Week ending | Males. | Females. | Children under 10. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903. | ||||
| January 31st | 1 | .. | .. | 1 |
| April 25th | 4 | 6 | 4 | 14 |
| May 2nd | .. | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| June 6th | 2 | 4 | 5 | 11 |
| June 13th | 2 | 1 | .. | 3 |
| July 11th | 5 | 8 | 3 | 16 |
| July 18th | 2 | 1 | .. | 3 |
| July 25th | 11 | 46 | .. | 57 |
| August 8th | 1 | 8 | 2 | 11 |
| August 29th | 3 | .. | 2 | 5 |
| September 5th | 2 | .. | .. | 2 |
| October 31st | 7 | 9 | 6 | 22 |
| November 7th | 5 | 3 | 8 | 16 |
| November 14 th | 7 | 11 | 15 | 33 |
| December 12 th | 5 | 1 | 5 | 11 |
Persons sheltered during the disinfection of their dwellings are regarded and
treated as contacts with infectious disease.
The contacts treated during the year consisted almost entirely of those who
had been in contact with Small-pox.
SMALL-POX CONTACTS.
In order to deal promptly with a person that has been in contact with Smallpox,
it is the rule for a Medical Officer of Health to communicate at
once personally with the contact if within his District, and if without his
District, immediately by telephone or telegraph with the Medical Officer of
Health of the District in which the contact resides or works, in order that any