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
East Ham 1909
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]
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73
In addition to these unavoidable conditions there was
another, which is quite preventable, and yet which was present
to such an extent as to be a perfect disgrace to those concerned.
I refer to the verminous condition of the childrens' heads.
Out of the 500 cases of Scarlet Fever admitted last year,
not less than 205 had actual living vermin in the head. A great
many more had " nits," but these are not included in the above
figures. With soap and water so cheap and plentiful such a
large percentage of verminous children is absolutely inexcusable.
The following table gives particulars of the chief diseases and conditions associated with Scarlet Fever which were present in the patients admitted during the year:—
| Diseases, etc. | Number of Cases. | Diseases, etc. | Number of Cases. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burns | 1 | Pleurisy | 1 |
| Cellulitis | 2 | Ringworm | 2 |
| Chicken Pox | 6 | Septic wounds | 6 |
| Diphtheria | 39 | Tapeworm | 1 |
| Eczema | 2 | Whooping Cough | 4 |
| Epilepsy | 1 | Verminous heads | 205 |
| Measles | 9 |
DIPHTHERIA
261 patients suffering from this disease were under treatment
during the year. This number includes 14 so called
"carrier" or contact cases; these patients usually present no
symptoms of disease except occasionally a little discharge from
the nose, and yet they ate a most fertile source of infection to
other people. The above 14 cases were discovered either at
school, in class rooms where several cases of Diphtheria had
occurred, or in homes in which a case of this disease had been
notified. As there are no symptons of illness, these cases can
only be recognised by bacteriological examination, but when
discovered they need isolation and treatment until proved to
be free from infection, and therefore the above 14 persons were
admitted to Hospital.