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 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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54
To secure the follow up of cases and the discovery of secondary cases, two
temporary whole-time nurses were engaged, each for approximately 14 weeks,
in addition to the permanent infectious disease visitor. First visits to homes of
all suspects and cases by the three visitors totalled 1,914; total visits to homes
(including re-visits) numbered 4,140.
During the epidemic the district nursing association paid 180 visits to 12 cases
in which nursing was requested by medical practitioners.
The scheme of control to ensure close co-operation between the school nursing
staff and the borough council's visitors was again put into operation, and enabled
contacts to remain at school under the supervision of the school nurses. This
scheme was in operation at 13 schools in the borough.
From the information obtained it would appear that the epidemic was not
of such magnitude or severity as the epidemic which occurred during 1936; a
noteworthy feature being the low number of deaths—six—which occurred.
The following particulars, abstracted from the reports of the school nurses,
are given by the County Medical Officer:—
| Home contacts | Other cases | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. No. of children excluded by nurses as suffering from measles | - | 43 | 43 |
| 2. No. of children referred to in (1) who were subsequently confirmed as cases of measles | - | 41 | 41 |
| 3. No. of children excluded by nurses with signs indicating the possible onset of measles, such as coryza | 3 | 57 | 60 |
| 4. No. of children referred to in (3) who subsequently proved to be cases of measles | 1 | 21 | 22 |
| 5. No. of children reported to Borough Medical Officer of Health or Divisional Officer whose cause of absence was suspected to be measles | 38 | 387 | 425 |
| 6. No. of children referred to in (5) who subsequently proved to be cases of measles | 6 | 135 | 141 |
| 7. No. of children reported to Borough Medical Officer of Health or Divisional Officer whose cause of absence was unknown | 3 | 44 | 47 |
| 8. No. of children referred to in (7) who subsequently proved to be cases of measles | - | 9 | 9 |
| 9. Total number of home contacts who were kept under special supervision in school | 183 |
WHOOPING COUGH
Whooping cough became notifiable throughout London under the County
of London (Measles and Whooping Cough) Regulations, 1938, which came into