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

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Woolwich 1898

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]

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On reference to the returns of the Metropolitan Asylums Board we get the notifications of infectious disease received by that Board for the corresponding six years from the whole of London :—

189318941895189618971898
Scarlet Fever369011065519757256472287616894
Diphtheria130261844010772133621281111543
Typhoid Fever366333603506319031133024
Small Pox2813I 19297922510532

I would again repeat the suggestion I made in my last two Reports
that facilities should be provided whereby Medical Officers of Health
could obtain a bacteriological examination in cases of sore throat
in which the presence of diphtheria is suspected. The value of
this, by affording a means of early diagnosis, is the more evident
when the good results that have been obtained by the prompt
use of antitoxic serum in diphtheria is considered.
No case of Small Pox was notified during the year.
The notification of Infectious Diseases still continues to work well
and without friction.
Disinfection.
During the year 336 houses and 5769 articles of
clothing, bedding, etc., have been disinfected (Table XVI.)
Sickness
Returns.
I append a table giving the sickness returns from various
sources during the year (Table XVIII.)
House to
House
Inspection.
During the year the Inspectors have visited 5294 houses,
and made 2856 re-inspections, these inspections necessitating
the issuing of 1,601 notices.