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

View report page

Leyton 1935

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Leyton]

This page requires JavaScript

88
(9) Cardiac—Five cases—2 per cent. (approximately) of all
admissions.
(10) Varicella.—Eight cases occurred, 4 males, 4 females.
The disease was imported by two cases, one male admitted on
18/12/35 and one female admitted on 20/12/35.
Seven of these 8 cases were aged 5 years or under.
(11) Recurrent Scarlet Fever—Four cases were recorded,
all males. Two were aged 5 years. The recurrent scarlet fever
rashes appeared 26, 28, 25 and 22 days after admission, i.e., 25 days
on the average.
(12) Miscellaneous Complications.—These included 4 cases
with ocular affections; 2 cases of vaginitis; 3 cases of mastoiditis,
treated successfully by Wilde's incision; 2 cases of purpura; three
children with septic fingers; and one who developed a buttock
abscess at an injection site. One case of erythema nodosum spent
9½ weeks in hospital—a female aged 5 years who had also a rheumatic
carditis.
There were 3 cases of Pertussis and 1 case of Rubella. Scarlet
fever antitoxin was administered to 27 cases in 1935. One subsequently
developed recurrent scarlet fever, and 13 suffered from
complications.
Conclusions.
1. The prevailing type of scarlet fever in 1935 was mild, as in
other years during the past decade.
2. However mild a scarlet fever case may be on admission,
complications may occur in convalescence causing prolonged illness
and sometimes permanent disability.
3. The administration of scarlet fever antitoxin to 27 cases
did not appear to have any beneficent influence on the development
of complications (vide supra).
4. The high incidence of complications in the 5-years-andunder-5
children was a marked feature in the year 1935. With
regard to the Arthritis and Rheumatism group, 50 per cent. of the
cases were 10 years or older.