London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Acton 1899
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Acton]
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13
INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND THE MEASURES TAKEN
TO PREVENT THEIR SPREAD.
It will be seen from the following table that 239 notification
certificates of Infectious Illness were received from medical practitioners,
as against 234 during the preceding year.
In most instances disinfection was performed by the Sanitary
Authority, and in other cases by the householders, to the satisfaction of
their medical attendant. A visit was paid to every house; thus, apart
from the measures that have been taken to prevent the spread of
infectious illness, the notification of such illness was the means during
the year of bringing about a sanitary inspection of various premises.
The following table gives the number reported each year since the Act came into force.
| 1890 | 1891 | 1892 | 1893 | 1894 | 1895 | 1896 | 1897 | 1898 | 1899 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Pox | — | — | 13 | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Scarlet Fever | 108 | 63 | 74 | 192 | 86 | 67 | 193 | 93 | 167 | 111 |
| Diphtheria | 14 | 8 | 27 | 41 | 22 | 32 | 23 | 89 | 35 | 49 |
| Membranous Croup | 4 | — | 13 | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | — | — |
| Typhoid Fever | 13 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 15 | 28 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 46 |
| Continued Fever | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Puerperal Fever | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | — | 1 | — |
| Erysipelas | 22 | 18 | 37 | 77 | 41 | 31 | 26 | 25 | 22 | |
| 162 | 102 | 180 | 340 | 167 | 161 | 259 | 221 | 234 | 239 |
DISINFECTION.
The employment of sulphurous acid for the surface disinfection of
rooms is still employed, but I take this opportunity of informing you
that I shall shortly advise the use of Formic Aldehyde. There are no
greater difficulties or inconveniences attending its use than those which
apply to the use of Sulphurous Acid, and it possesses the great
advantages that it is more certain in its disinfectant action and does not
injure any article of furniture or ornamentation exposed to it.
All bedding &c. is disinfected by super-heated steam as before.