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
Carshalton 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Carshalton]
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Multiple Cases.—The houses in which more than one case
occurred are shown below:—
TABLE 19. SCARLET FEVER—MULTIPLE CASES 1938.
| WARD | Number of houses in which occurred | Total Houses | Total Cases | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 case | 2 cases | 3 cases | 5 cases | |||
| St. Helier North | 52 | 7 | 1 | – | 60 | 69 |
| St. Helier South | 40 | 2 | 1 | – | 43 | 47 |
| St. Helier West | 30 | 4 | – | – | 34 | 38 |
| North-East | 26 | – | 1 | 1* | 28 | 34 |
| North-West | 10 | 1 | – | – | 11 | 12 |
| Central | 8 | 1 | – | – | 9 | 10 |
| South-East | 6 | – | – | – | 6 | 6 |
| South-West | 11 | – | – | – | 11 | 11 |
| Whole District | 183 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 202 | 227 |
*A Home for Foster Children.
Home Treatment of Scarlet Fever.—An approach was made
to the practitioners in the district to secure their co-operation to
giving effect to the Ministry of Health's advice that " whenever
possible uncomplicated cases of scarlet fever should be treated at
home.
This advice is prompted by the risk of cross infection where
hospital isolation is provided in multiple bed wards as is the
common practice in the majority of hospitals at the present time.
Viewed from this aspect alone the advice is sound, but the qualifying
words "whenever possible" cover many other important considerations
which prevent the advice being implemented, except in
a relatively few instances. One great difficulty is the reluctance of
practitioners, many of whom are engaged in midwifery practice, to
undertake the conduct of infectious illness, particularly a streptococcal
infection, in view of the fact that, under conditions of general
practice, it is difficult to take adequate precautions against conveying
infection without making serious inroads into their valuable
time. One conscientious practitioner, to my knowledge, left the
visiting of a scarlet fever patient who was being treated at home
until the end of his daily round to minimise the risk to his other
patients. He was accused of neglecting his case and another
doctor was called in.
78