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
Walthamstow 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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54
It is very questionable if the routine admission to Hospital of
the average uncomplicated case of Scarlet Fever is justified,
provided certain criteria are satisfied. Amongst the most important
of these are: adequate isolation facilities (i.e., a separate
room), no other inmate of the house to be employed in the preparation
or distribution of food to the public and adequate medical
supervision to be available.
The following table with respect to the incidence of Return Cases during the last five years will bear out this statement.
| Year. | Following Hospital Treatment. | Following Home Isolation. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Cases. | Return Cases. | Primary Cases. | Return Cases. | |||
| No. | No. | Percentage . | No. | No. | Percentage. | |
| 1934 | 465 | 16 | 3.4 | 140 | 1 | 0.7 |
| 1935 | 454 | 28 | 6.1 | 115 | 1 | 0.8 |
| 1936 | 287 | 2 | 0.6 | 62 | 1 | 1.6 |
| 1937 | 205 | 2 | 0.9 | 45 | Nil | Nil |
| Total | 1,411 | 48 | 3.4 | 362 | 3 | 0.9 |
| 1938 | 236 | 11 | 4.2 | 34 | Nil | Nil |
The last recorded death from Scarlet Fever in the Sanatorium
occurred during 1936, and the last recorded death of a Walthamstow
resident was in 1937, and this occurred in a hospital outside the
Borough.
DIPHTHERIA.
A total of 65 cases of Diphtheria was notified during 1938, as
compared with 101 in 1937.
The following tables show the incidence by months, ages and wards
| Month. | All ages. | Under 1 yr. | 1-5 yrs. | 5-15 yrs. | 15-25 yrs. | 25-45 yrs. | 45-65 yrs. | 65 & over. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5 | - | - | 4 | 1 | - | - | - | |
| February | 8 | — | 1 | 4 | 3 | — | - | — | |
| March | 5 | — | 1 | 4 | — | — | - | — | |
| April | 5 | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | - | — | |
| May | 6 | — | 1 | 4 | - | 1 | - | — | |
| June | 2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | - | — | |
| July | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | - | — | |
| August | 3 | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | - | — | |
| September | 9 | 1 | — | 6 | 1 | 1 | - | — | |
| October | 8 | — | 1 | 6 | — | 1 | - | — | |
| November | 10 | - | 3 | 5 | 2 | - | - | - | |
| December | 3 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Totals | 1938 | 65 | 1 | 7 | 42 | 12 | 3 | — | — |
| 1937 | 101 | 4 | 24 | 64 | 6 | 3 | - | — | |