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

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Stepney 1911

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stepney]

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39
increase in the number of deaths from Diarrhœa. This decrease in the number of
flies may be attributed to the fact that there are fewer horses employed on the streets
than in former years, due to motor vehicles being employed instead. It is well
known that horse dung forms the favourite breeding ground of the domestic fly,
much more so than cow dung.
I have no doubt that contaminated milk supply is the cause of Summer Diarrhoea,
but in what particular manner it becomes contaminated I am not prepared to express
an opinion.
I do not think it has been conclusively proved that house-flies are the only
source of the spread of the infection.
A circular was received from the Local Government Board on the prevalence
of Epidemic Diarrhoea amongst children, in which the Board suggested that:—
(1) Advice should be given as to the feeding and management of children, and
more generally as to preventing the exposure of their food from decomposing
organic matter.
(2) The diverting of inspectors from less urgent work and visiting of as many
of the places where births have occurred during the last year to prevent
the accumulation in, or in the vicinity of the houses of decomposing animal
and vegetable matter. Efficient scavenging, of frequent and, if possible,
daily removal of house and stable refuse. To see that all food is properly
protected and that the houses are generally kept clean.
(3) Ascertaining in which parts of their district Diarrhoea is especially prevalent
and devoting close attention to street and court scavenging, and to the
removal of stable and domestic refuse in these areas.
The question of efficient scavenging belongs to the Borough Engineer's Department,
and not to the Public Health Department.
With respect to the remainder of the circular, it was decided by the Public
Health Committee at its meeting on August 24th that the following circular should
be printed in English and Yiddish. The addresses where births have occurred this
year were to be visited by the Inspectors, the object of the visit being to ascertain
the presence of accumulation of dirt, rubbish or manure in the immediate vicinity,
and to leave one of the circulars with the parents of the child.
3,835 leaflets were sent by post to the addresses of all briths registered from
August 1st to December 31st, 1910.
4,468 leaflets were left by the Inspectors at the addresses of births registered
from January 1st to August 1st, 1911.
In 725 instances the addresses were found to be incorrect, or the parents had
removed.