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
East Ham 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]
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63
Concurrent Infection.
Four of the cases of Scarlet Fever had also Whooping Cough
as an accompanying infection. The average duration of treatment
was four weeks, the longest case being in hospital 107 days.
The Principal Complications.
| Complications | No. | Percentage Incidence |
|---|---|---|
| Adenitis | 11 | 4.2 |
| Mastoid | 3 | 1.1 |
| Otorrhoea | 15 | 5.4 |
| Rhinorrhoea | 7 | 2.7 |
| Endocarditis | 6 | 2.3 |
| Nephritis | 2 | 0.7 |
| Tonsillitis | 4 | 1.5 |
| Bronchitis | 1 | 0.3 |
| Pneumonia | 1 | 0.3 |
| Other Complications | 8 | 3.1 |
| Total | 58 | — |
Under other complications are included septic fingers, boils,
etc. and conditions not directly due to Scarlet Fever.
Serum
Number of cases receiving serum 210
Number of cases not receiving serum 24
The serum reaction rate was 17.61 per cent.
Enteric Fever.
During the year 14 patients were admitted suffering from
Enteric Fever.
Nine of the cases of Typhoid Fever formed part of a small
epidemic of cases that occurred in the Borough during the final
fortnight of the year. Patients were discharged after bacteriological
examination had shown them to be free from infection.
Meningitis.
One case of Pneumococcal Meningitis was admitted. The
child, a girl of five years was extremely ill. She was treated by
intra-muscular injections of Protosil Soluble. 80c.c. in all being