London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kingston upon Thames 1939
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kingston-upon-Thames]
This page requires JavaScript
53
Medical Officer of Health for record purposes, while the other
part Is completed and detached by the doctor, so that it may be
handed to the patient to present at the cleansing station.
This safeguards the position of a person presenting himself for
cleansing without having first been seen by a doctor. In
addition provision is made on the form for the doctor to express
his views regarding disinfestation etc.
The cleansing is undertaken by Civil Defence personnel
attached to the First Aid Posts, under the supervision of the
Health Visitors and First Aid Post trained nurses. This
opportunity is taken to acknowledge their billing assistance.
The following tables shev; the nunbers of cases treated during
1942 and 1943:-
Cases of Scabies treated.
| Year | No .of cases treated at | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Aid Post "A" | First Aid Post "B" | Total cases treated | |
| 1942 | 89 | 135 | 224 |
| 1943 | 349 | 261 | 610 |
Analysis into age groups of .cases treated.
| Year | Treatment Centre | Males | Females | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 years | 5 yrs, to 14 yrs. | Over 14 years | Under 5 Years | 5 yrs. to 14 yrs. | Over 14 Years | ||
| 1942 | First Aid Post "A" | 4 | 7 | 20 | 5 | 11 | 42 |
| 1942 | First Aid Post "B" | Analysis not available. | |||||
| 1943 | First Aid Post "A" | 22 | 40 | 67 | 19 | 39 | 162 |
| 1943 | First Aid Post "B" | 27 | 82 | - | 30 _ | 90 | 32 |
Prior to 1942, no schorae existed for notification of cases
of scabies, and pre-war only a few cases came to the notice of
the Public Health Department, The figures given above indicate
that the condition had become fairly widespread, although there
is reason to believe that cases are now becoming fewer in number.
Active measures were taken to ensure that all contacts are
followed up when necessary,although in most cases it is found
that if one member of a family attends for cleansing, he or she,
especially if an adult, will act on the advice given and ensure
that other members of the same family attend for prophylactic
treatment.
It was not necessary to invoke the spccial powers given