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
Walthamstow 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
This page requires JavaScript
67
Ten patients were given intravenous antitoxin, the dosage
being as follows:— 8,000 units, two cases; 16,000 units, six cases;
24,000 units, two cases. Seven of these patients recovered and
three died.
Cases Transferred from Diphtheria Block to Cubicle Block.
Septic Throat, 2; Patients desquamating, 12 (three of these
cases were confirmed as scarlet fever); Measles, 2; Chickenpox, 2;
Serum Abscess, 1.
MONTHLY ADMISSIONS OF SCARLET FEVER CASES.
| Under 5 Year. | 5 to 10 Year. | 10 to 15 Year. | Over 15Year. | Total. | Total. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6 | 6 | 10 | 20 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 27 | 36 | 63 |
| February | 2 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 22 | 34 |
| March | 3 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 27 | 13 | 40 |
| April | — | 5 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 17 | 27 |
| May | 4 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 20 | 13 | 33 |
| June | 3 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 31 |
| July | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 13 | 23 |
| August | 1 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 12 | 23 |
| September | 2 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 20 | 23 | 43 |
| October | 6 | 6 | 10 | 15 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 24 | 33 | 57 |
| November | 2 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 32 | 52 |
| December | 3 | 3 | 10 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 22 | 39 |
| Totals | 33 | 55 | 99 | 113 | 52 | 45 | 28 | 40 | 212 | 253 | 465 |
Complications.— The number of complications, directly attributable
to the initial infection, were remarkably few. Cases of
measles arose during the period of epidemicity and the two
diseases then ran concurrently. Some cases of chickenpox followed
the admission of a child in the incubation period of this disease.
Other complications were:—
Severe suppurative cervical adenitis, 2; cervical adenitis of a
lesser degree occurred in some 25 per cent, of the cases admitted.
Otitis media with otorrhœa, 6 (four gave swabs positive to K.L.B.);
purulent rhinitis, 12 (diphtheria 3, streptococcal 9); vaginal discharge,
1'; acute nephritis, 2; acute mastoid disease, 2; acute
infective jaundice, 2; acute rheumatism, 2; acute infection of
antrum of Highmore (exacerbation of a mild chronic condition), 1.
Cases Transferred to Cubicle Block from Scarlet Fever
Block.—Twenty-two patients were transferred for the following
reasons:—Chickenpox, 6; Rubella, 2; Rhinorrhoea yielding swabs