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REPORT
of the
MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
for the
METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF STEPNEY
FOR THE YEAR 1929.
Public Health Department,
43, White Horse Street,
July, 1930.
To His Worship the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of Stepney.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present the Annual Report upon the health and
sanitary conditions of the Borough of Stepney for the year 1929.
This report will be an account of the work done in 1929 by the late Dr.
D. L. Thomas, Medical Officer of Health of Stepney, for an unbroken period of
29 years. Throughout this report I propose to submit special accounts given
by him to the Committee last year. Dr. Thomas was an expert in the diagnosis
of Small Pox. During the epidemic of 1902, when the type of case was much
more severe than now, he had to deal with cases in common lodging-houses and
shelters night after night.
Dr. Thomas died in the London Hospital on December 10th from Psittacosis.
Up to that time very little had been heard of the outbreak of this
disease, but shortly after his death there were several other cases brought into
the London Hospital.
Psittacosis, or parrot disease, resembles typhoid fever in its signs and
symptoms. There is the same febrile state, the continual headache and general
toxaemia.
The disease is conveyed to human beings by infected birds, either by
kissing or handling the birds. Cases have occurred where the patient has not
actually handled the bird. This may be explained by the fact that the
droppings from the birds are also very infectious. These become dry and are
disseminated as dust.