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

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Hendon 1898

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hendon]

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22
of the necessary steps to be taken when their children were ill.
Had more care been taken in the first instance 1 feel sure this
outbreak would not have occurred. After all these precautions,
on the schools re-opening on July 4th, the Master found a boy
looking suspicious, and on being taken to a doctor was discovered
to be full out with scarlet fever. I am thankful to say, thanks
to the prompt action of Mr. Butler, this was the means of checking
another outbreak. As regards the question of milk being
the carrier of the disease in this epidemic, 1 am thankful to say
I am absolutely able 15 exclude this as having anything to do
with it, for in one investigation of 15 cases there were eleven
different milk supplies.
phthisis.
This disease, together with tuberculosis in general, is now
occupying the attention of the whole kingdom, and endeavours
are being strenuously made to combat with the disease in a
sensible way. Hitherto, people have always considered that the
disease is hereditary, but this is not the case. There is one
undoubted fact—that in many ways the disease can be warded
off by taking steps which hitherto have not been considered
necessary. The importance of fresh air is not nearly sufficiently
taken into account, and the necessity for the erection of hospitals
and sanatoriums for the treatment of cases in suitable
districts is, I feel sure, of great importance, and would provide a
means whereby the afflicted ones would have the advantage of the
best treatment of modern times.
Our primary object is prevention of disease, and in many ways
by attention to the various means at our disposal we shall, I soon
hope, gradually eliminate this disease. One important matter is
now before the public, and that is the conveying of tubercular
disease to young babies through the medium of milk and thus
sowing the seeds of disease in the human being from birth. This
has and is being strenuously gone into by Public Health