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

View report page

St Pancras 1904

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, London, Borough of]

This page requires JavaScript

35
any precautions for varying periods until diagnosed and removed to hospital.
These appear to have given rise later on to at least fourteen secondary eases.
The milk supplies afforded no clue to the prevalence. Condensed milk of
various brands was used in some eight families, nine different retailers supplied
fresh milk in other cases, and when the inquiry was followed up to the
wholesale dealers it was found that the milks were delivered as they came to
hand, and that the interchange could not be followed up to the numerous
farmers who supplied the various dealers, and furthermore that several other
farmers supplied several milk retailers directly.
There was evidence that in a few cases fried fish had been eaten, and in one
instance the patient expressed his suspicion of the shell-fish he partook of. But
neither shell-fish nor fried fish afforded an}' special clue.
On the whole there was no one origin that could be regarded as the cause
of the prevalence of the disease; it is possible that several causes may have
been acting coincidently, if so, they were so inextricably interwoven as to
defy analysis.
MEASLES.
The following letter and order in reference to Measles was received
from the London County Council, having been addressed to medical
practitioners throughout London :—
County Hall,
Spring Gardens, S.W.
16th March, 19C3.
Sir,
MEASLES.
In accordance with the provisions of sections 56 and 58 of the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, I send herewith (on the third page) a copy of an order
made by the Council, applying to Measles, in the Administrative County of
London, the provisions of sections 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 68, 69, 70, 72,
73 and 74 of that Act with respect to dangerous infectious diseases.
The order has been duly approved by the Local Government Board, and
will come into force from and including 1st April, 1903.
The following is a brief summary of the sections above referred to:—
Section 60 gives power to sanitary authorities to require the cleansing
and disinfection of infected houses or parts of houses and the disinfection
or destruction of infected articles, and requires them to pay compensation
for articles destroyed or for unnecessary damage caused by disinfection,
and to provide, free of charge, temporary accommodation for the shelter
of persons during the disinfection of the dwellings.
Section 61 enables sanitary authorities to require infected bedding,
clothing, or other articles to be delivered up to them for disinfection or