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 1900

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Acton]

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13
It is most important that scavenging should be carried on with
particular vigour during the summer months ; our object is to keep the
dust of the streets from entering the houses and settling on the food,
which in the poorer districts is often left exposed in the living room.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND THE MEASURES TAKEN TO
PREVENT THEIR SPREAD.

Table: The following table gives the number reported each year since the Act came into force:

The following table gives the number reported each year since the Act came into force:

18901891189218931894189518961897189818991900
Small Pox——1372—————2
Scarlet Fever1086374192866719393167111243
Diphtheria148274122322389354928
Membranous Croup4—131———4——1
Typhoid Fever131315191528141094629
Continued Fever———1——————2
Puerperal Fever1—12133—1——
Erysipelas2218377741312625223128
162102180340167161259221234239333

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It will be seen from the above table that 333 notification certificates
of Infectious Illness were received from medical practitioners, as against
239 during the preceding year.
The usual method of dealing with infectious cases in this district is
as follows:
On receipt of a notification from the certifying Practitioner, notice
is forwarded with as little delay as possible to the Sanitary Inspector,
Nurse Dawkins, the Librarian, and the Master of the School where the
child or any inmates of the house attend.
A small Pamphlet giving advice as to Isolation, &c., is also
forwarded to the parents or some other responsible person in the house.