Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham]
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64
CHOLERA, PLAGUE AND SMALL.POX.
During the year information was received from various
Port Medical Officers of the arrival in this district of persons
who, during the voyage, had come in contact with small.pox or
plague patients. The contacts were immediately visited, and
kept under observation during the full period of incubation. In
no case was there any development of the disease. The
number of contacts visited in the Borough was Plague 7 and
Small.Pox 4.
BACTERIOSCOPIC EXAMINATIONS.
Facilites were continued for the examination of doubtful
cases of Diphtheria. Phthisis and Typhoid Fever. Such examinations
are of extreme value to medical practitioners and to the
public health department. In many instances the examination
prevents the extension of infection by securing an earlier
diagnosis than would be possible without it, and so prevents the
necessity of keeping an infective person in contact with others
in the home until the symptoms become so distinct as to remove
Many more examinations were made than in the previous year, as the following return will show:—
1905. | 1906. | ||
---|---|---|---|
negative | 72 | 148 | |
positive | 34 | 68 | |
doubtful | 1 | 1 | |
negative | 22 | 41 | |
positive | 7 | 20 | |
negative | 4 | 6 | |
positive | 2 | 3 | |
Food Samples | 2 | 9 | |
Total | 144 | 296 |