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 1940
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
This page requires JavaScript
MUNICIPAL LABORATORY.
The following numbers of diphtheria swabs were examined during 1940:-
| Swabs | Negative | Positive | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private Practitioners | 178 | 8 | 136 |
| Health Department | 92 | - | 92 |
| School Medical Department | 43 | - | 46 |
| Totals | 313 | 8 | 324 |
The total number of diphtheria specimens examined in 1959
was 691.
Direct examinations were done on 12 diphtheria specimens,
and one was positive.
In addition, 158 specimens of urine were examined, as
compared with 156 in 1959.
A total of 550 tubes of culture media were made and of these,
312 were sent to the Sanatorium.
ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL SCHEME.
The Ass ex County Council also provides facilities for
examination of pathological specimens, and the County Medical
Officer states that 1965 specimens were examined for local
practitioners during 1940 as follows: -
Diphtheria swabs, 81; Sputa 778; Typhoid specimens, 36;
Ringworm specimens, 3; Miscellaneous, 1028, Milk and
Ice Cream, 30; later, 5.
VACCINATION.
Mr.A.Sharp, Vaccination o fficer for the Area, has furnished the frilling return for 1946: -
| Births Registered. | Successfully Vaccinated | Percentare Vaccinated | Insusceptible | Exemptions | Death before Vaccinated | Postponed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,391 | 195 | 14.01 | 1 | 687 | 37 | 35 |
In addition to the. above, 21 primary vaccinations were recorded
and 13 re-vaccinations.
During 1940 the vaccinal condition of all school children
examined at Routine Medical, Inspection was recorded, and a summary
of the findings for the year showed that 21.2 per cent. were
vaccinated.
FOOD POISONING.
Note on Cases of Cadmium Poisoning.
In May, 1940, three adults and five children were found to have
become acutely ill some 15 minutes after consuming 'lemonade ices'
prepared by freezing lemonade' in the metal trays of a recondition
refrigerator. All were sick, four had diarrhoea, but recovery was
generally complete within 24 hours.
The remains of the unconsumed 'lemonade ices' were not available
but the method of preparation was repeated. This consisted of
dissolving a popular brand of lemonade crystals, (consisting of
citric acid and sugar) in boiling water and freezing overnight
in the refrigerator.
Analysis showed that the traps had been plated with cadmium
on occuper and that there was up to 279 p.p.m., of cadmium in
solution. This roughly represented one-twentieth grain of
cadmium per 'ice' block. It therefore appears that amounts of
about one-twentieth grain of cadmium may cause somewhat severe
poisoning.
The refrigerator was of a well known make but had been supplied
on a second-hand basis by another firm. It had then acquired
cadmium plated copper trays not supplied originally when new.
22.