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
Leyton 1936
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Leyton]
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It was necessary to arrange for admission to institutions outside the area of 8 Leyton residents suffering from scarlet fever. The outlying institutions to which these patients were sent were:—
| London Fever Hospital | 7 |
| Park Hospital (L.C.C.) | 1 |
| 8 |
Two patients died in the scarlet fever wards of the hospital
during the year.
1. Male, 25 years. Endocarditis, scarlet fever.
2. Male, 2 years. Scarlet fever, septicaemia.
INCIDENCE OF COMPLICATIONS.
During the year 1934, a year of abnormally high incidence of
both scarlet fever and diphtheria, the number of scarlet fever
patients accommodated in the scarlet fever wards was considerably
in excess of the standard accommodation available ; and, in order
to determine whether any correlation existed between the density
of occupation of wards and the rate of incidence of complications
Dr. F. W. Gavin (then Deputy Medical Officer of Health) undertook
a special detailed investigation of the records of patients
treated in hospital during that year. The results of Dr. Gavin's
investigations were published in my Annual Reports for 1934
and 1935. His successor, Dr. P. Henderson, has continued the
investigation of the records for 1936.
Incidence of Complications Among Scarlet Fever Patients in the
Isolation Hospital.
During the year 1936 some 232 patients, diagnosed as scarlet fever,
were admitted to Leyton Isolation Hospital. In 12 of these patients the
diagnosis was not confirmed.
Complications During Course of Disease.
Sixty-six patients (30 per cent.) developed complications during their
stay in hospital. Fifty-one had one complication, 12 had two complica-