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

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Bethnal Green 1860

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green, Parish of St. Matthew ]

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6
nation." Measles, which became more virulent after the
continued prevalence of Small Pox, swept away 112. Now
in Scotland, it has been observed by the Registrar-General,
"that in years when, or localities where, Small Pox has not
been prevalent, the mortality from Measles is very small,
but when Small Pox has extended and put on the epidemic
form, the mortality from Measles becomes very great." The
quotation demonstrates the double safeguard that early vaccination
forthwith confers. Scarlatina and Diptheria fortunately
decreased from 188 and 157 in 1858-9 to 96 in 1860.
Malignant was registered against the former 22 times. How
tenaciously this dire disease may cling to a house the following
shows:—"In a village in Essex there was a severe
outbreak of Scarlet Fever. A man at the extremity had a
child die with the disease. This was the last case that
occurred at that time in the village. He had three other
children, the whole of whom he at once sent away to their
grandmother, 8 miles off. None of the children were recalled
for two months, and the house was in the meantime whitewashed,
and together with the bed linen and every other
material that could be considered capable of retaining the
disease, was thoroughly cleansed. At the end of the two
months, one boy returned home; he had not been in the
house a day before he was seized with the premonitory
symptoms, had the disease in its severest form, and in spite
of all treatment died. A period of between four and five
months elapsed, in which interval the same cleansing processes
were carried on as before; and the parents thinking
that all danger must now necessarily be passed, recalled
their last remaining boy. There had been no case in the
village during the time intervening, but this boy on returning
home was seized exactly in the same manner as the previous
one, and also died." Whooping Cough, which is also