London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Carshalton 1938

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Carshalton]

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TABLE 22. DIPHTHERIA-MONTHLY DISTRIBUTION, 1938

1938WARDTotal
St.Helier NorthSt.Helier SouthSt.Helier WestNorth-EastNorth-WestCentralSouth-EastSouth-West
January66
February1l2
March
Aprill1
May33
June213
July1113
August213
September123
October2114
November1113
December22
Totals9103612233
Monthly Mean0.750.830.250.500.00.080.160.162.75

There were no deaths from diphtheria compared with 4 in the
year before.
Five hundred and eighty-two swabs were examined for diphtheria,
of which 40 were positive.
Diphtheria "Carriers."
During the course of investigations into cases, 10 persons were
found to be "carriers" of diphtheria bacilli, 2 of which had
avirulent infections.
An outbreak of diphtheria occurred among some 30 scholars
attending a private school. Four cases were notified and removed
to isolation hospital. Careful investigations were carried out and
swabs of all the children and staff were secured. The results of
the swabs were returned as positive in 8 instances. Seven of these
persons presented no symptoms and in 3 the test for virulence
showed that the organism was non-virulent. In 6 of these 7
81