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
Southall 1939
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southall]
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Of these, 117 were removed to the Isolation Hospital.
Infection appears to have been mainly due to case-to-case contact. Most of the
cases were of a very mild character. In some cases the rash was of fleeting duration;
in other cases there were very few signs in the throat.
Administration of Prontosil alba, the therapeutic agent of special use in the treatment
of streptococcal infections, of which scarlatina is a typical example, was continued
in the Isolation Hospital during the year. An analysis of the results of this treatment
is contained in the report on the Isolation Hospital.
Diphtheria.
There were 20 cases of diphtheria notified as compared with 99 in 1937. All the
cases were removed to the Isolation Hospital. There was one death from diphtheria of
residents during the year.
Several of the cases were of a severe type.
Diphtheria Prevention.
It was mentioned in the Report for 1935 that the Ministry of Health had approved
a scheme for the immunisation of children against diphtheria.
A general report of the attendances at clinical sessions during the year is shown
in the following table No. 37.
Table No. 37.
| Number of sessions held | 52 |
| Number of new patients | 187 |
| Total attendances made | 1,083 |
| Average attendance per session | 20 |
| Highest attendance at a session | 42 |
| Lowest attendance at a session | 6 |
| During 1939 the number of new cases was | 187 |
| The number of children over the age of 6 years who were tested and found to be Schick negative, therefore not requiring immunisation | 13 |
| The number of patients in whom treatment was completed and a Schick test done afterwards found to be negative | 75 |
| The number of patients in which treatment was completed but who were waiting tests at the end of 1939 | 82 |
| The number of patients with regard to whom treatment was unfinished in the year 1939 and will be completed later | 9 |
| The number of patients who failed to attend for final test after Three injections | 0 |
| Two injections | 6 |
| One injection | 8 |
| Only one child attended for a preliminary Schick test and subsequently failed to make any further attendance. | |
It is the practice to Schick test all children at the age of 6 years and over who
attend requesting immunisation, and during the year 29 children were so tested. The
age distribution of the preliminary Schick tested patients is shown in Table 38.
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