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

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Southgate 1898

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southgate]

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11
INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND THE MEANS
TAKEN TO PREVENT THEIR SPREAD.
On referring to table B. it will be seen that 79
cases of infectious disease were notified during the
year, as against 102 in the previous year. Of these, 16
were from Southgate, 26 from New Southgate, 32 from
Bowes and Palmers Green, and 5 from Winchmore
Hill. These cases represent infection in 64 different
houses, 54 of which were subsequently disinfected by the
Sanitary Authority. In all cases disinfectants were supplied,
instructions given as to the carrying out of isolation
as efficiently as possible, and the sanitary conditions of
the premises inspected, in 11 of which defects were found.
These have all been remedied, after the serving of notices.
Five cases of Scarlet Fever were removed to the Enfield
Infectious Hospital—4 from New Southgate and 1 from
Bowes—whilst two cases of Diphtheria were removed to
other hospitals.
Many more cases, which required it, would have been
removed if accommodation for them had been forthcoming,
but unfortunately this was not so; consequently they
had to be isolated at home as well as circumstances would
permit, often, perforce, most inadequately. This state of
things, especially now that the district is so rapidly
increasing in population, urgently calls for the erection of
our own Infectious Hospital as speedily as possible.
In order to check the spread of, and danger resulting
from Measles and Whooping Cough as much as possible,
I adopted, with your sanction, the following plan, which
I consider is more practicable and efficient and very much
less costly than compulsory notification would be under
the Infection Diseases Notification Act.
(1) The School Attendance Officers, who find at once the
cause of the absence of any child from school, were supplied
with stamped and addressed forms on which to send to
me the names and addresses of any child absent from school
suspected of suffering from infectious disease, especially
Measles and Whooping Cough. In this way from September,
when the system was begun, to the end of the year, the occurrence
of 10 cases of Measles (as well as 15 cases of Chicken-pox),
were brought to my notice, many of which I should
otherwise probably not have known of, even if Measles were
notifiable.
(2) A handbill was drawn up pointing out the nature of
these diseases, the dangers liable to result therefrom, the