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
Croydon 1905
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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15
The following are the chief particulars in reference to these
cases:—
RETURN CASES OF SCARLET FEVER, 1905.
| Discharged Patient. | Notes as to any abnormality on Discbarge. | Onset and number of return case. | Interval between discharge of patient and onset of return case. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No- in Register | Age' | Sex. | Date of Discharge. | Days in Hospital. | Length of illness. | |||
| 461 | 8 | F | 3/1/05 | 40 | 44 | All noimal. | 6/1/05 (16) | 3 days |
| 10/1/05 (20) | 7 ,, | |||||||
| 2/2/05 (64) | 30 ,, | |||||||
| 370 | 4 | M | 24/1/05 | 101 | 107 | Uvula? red, external naresred, head scurf}, tonsils + . | 1/2/05 (60) | 8 ,, |
| 469 | 5 | M | 10/1/05 | 45 | 47 | Tonsils +. | 2/2/05 (65) | 23 ,, |
| 331 | 6 | M | 26/1/05 | 119 | 122 | Tonsils +, ex'.crna! nares? little red. | 9/2/05 (78l | 14 ,, |
| 322 | 5 | M | 4/2/05 | 132 | 134 | All normal. | 16/2/05 1102) | 12 ,, |
| 107 | 8 | M | 15/4/05 | 53 | 56 | All normal, except for toughness on heels. | 10 5/05 (204) | 25 ,, |
| 20/5/05 (220) | 35 ,, | |||||||
| 276 | 14 | F | 5/8/05 | 46 | 49 | All normal, except for desquamation of feet. | 8/8/05 (340 30/8/05 (355) | 3 ,, 25 ,, |
| 308 | 6 | F | 29/8/05 | 47 | 48 | Glands palpable. | 1/10,05 (411) | 33 ,, |
| 400 | 6 | F | 7/11/05 | 43 | 45 | All normal | 11/11/05 (520) | 4 ,, |
| 405 | 4 | M | 11/11/05 | 44 | 48 | All normal. | 19/11/05 (549) | 8 „ |
| 508 | 1½ | M | 16/12/05 | 42 | 45 | Glands +, scar right side of neck. | 22/12/05 (583) | 6 ,, |
| 29/12/05 (593) | 13 „ | |||||||
| 509 | 7 | F | 30/12/05 | 56 | 57 | Noimal. | 3/1/06 (6) | 4 ,, |
| 3/1/06 (7) 3/1/06 (8) | 4 ,, 4 ,, | |||||||
| 460 | 9 | F | 30,12/05 | 73 | 75 | External nares a litt'e rough. | 4/1/06 (9) | 5 ,, |
| 465 | 4 | M | 30/12/05 | 70 | 71 | All normal. | 3/1/06 (10) | 4 ,, |
| 413 | 4 | F | 7/12/05 | 66 | 68 | T hroat a little red, tonsils +, glands palpable | 4/1/06 (11) | 28 ,, |
| 464 | 51 | M | 28/12/05 | 69 | 90 | Remains of scab on left heel secondary to a blister, tonsils +. | 7/1/06 (18) | 10 „ |
In several instances the interval that elapsed between the
discharge of the patient and the onset of the second case was
considerable, and raises some doubt as to whether the discharged
patient and the infected case were really cause and effect. From all
one knows of the chronicity of scarlet fever, I am, however, disposed
to believe that the return cases were really due to persistent infectiousness
of the discharged patient in the majority of instances.
It will be noticed that no less than 13 out of the 16 discharged
patients, who were suspected of carrying infection, left the hospital
either in January February, November, or December. During these
four months 151 patients were discharged, and 9 per cent, were therefore
suspected of carrying infection. During the remainder of the year
212 patients were discharged, and of these only 1 per cent, were