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
Shoreditch 1936
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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The following table shows the occurrence of the cases month by month:—
| Week ending. | No. of actual cases. | No. removed to hospital. | Week ending. | No. of actual cases. | No. removed to hospital. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 4 | 1 | 1 | May 2 | 77 | 27 |
| „ 11 | 11 | 2 | „ 9 | 70 | 17 |
| „ 18 | 13 | 2 | „ 16 | 46 | 11 |
| „ 25 | 12 | 3 | „ 23 | 25 | 11 |
| February 1 | 39 | 7 | „ 30 | 23 | 9 |
| „ 8 | 80 | 24 | June 6 | 14 | 4 |
| „ 15 | 64 | 17 | „ 13 | 14 | 7 |
| „ 22 | 132 | 49 | „ 20 | 12 | 3 |
| „ 29 | 123 | 41 | „ 27 | 8 | 1 |
| March 7 | 194 | 54 | July 4 | 5 | 1 |
| „ 14 | 190 | 70 | „ 11 | 2 | 1 |
| „ 21 | 205 | 76 | „ 18 | 2 | 1 |
| „ 28 | 279 | 116 | „ 25 | — | — |
| April 4 | 197 | 65 | August 1 | 2 | — |
| „ 11 | 158 | 67 | „ 8 | — | — |
| „ 18 | 93 | 42 | „ 15 | 1 | — |
| „ 25 | 87 | 28 | „ 22 | 2 | 1 |
| „ 29 | 1 | — | |||
| Totals | 2,182 | 758 | |||
The figures for notifications and deaths show that the epidemic was of considerable
magnitude. I am, nevertheless, convinced that the scheme of control which was
adopted was instrumental in reducing the extent and severity of the complications
which are such an unfortunate feature of this disease.
In order to ensure the effective follow-up of cases and the discovery of secondary
cases, five whole-time nurses were temporarily employed during the period of the
epidemic; each nurse being retained for approximately four months. The first
visits to the homes of all suspects and cases by these nurses numbered 2,790, the
total visits (including re-visits) being 7,283. During the epidemic the district nursing
association paid 780 visits to 62 cases in which nursing was requested by the practitioners
in attendance.
The County School Medical Officer again instituted a scheme of control which
facilitated close co-operation between the school nursing staff and the special staff
which was employed by the Borough Council. This scheme enabled home and school
contacts to remain at school under the supervision of the school nurses. The measles
visitors met the school nurses daily and received from them the names of absentees
and suspects; in this way any undue delay in visiting was prevented.
The scheme of control was put into operation in no fewer than twenty of the twenty
four schools in the Borough, and the provisions of the scheme had to be re-applied
in two schools owing to further outbreaks. As can be seen the scheme worked
extremely well in Shoreditch and a noteworthy feature was the close co-operation
which existed between the measles visitors and the school nursing staff.