Dr. H.F. Parsons's report to the Local Government Board on the recent prevalence of scarlet fever and diphtheria in the Thorne registration district, and on the general sanitary condition of the sanitary districts comprised therein / [H. Franklin Parsons].

  • Parsons, H. Franklin (Henry Franklin), 1846-1913.
Date:
1883
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. H.F. Parsons's report to the Local Government Board on the recent prevalence of scarlet fever and diphtheria in the Thorne registration district, and on the general sanitary condition of the sanitary districts comprised therein / [H. Franklin Parsons]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The close connexion between diphtheria and scarlet fever has been noticed in all parts of the district, and in the practice of various medical men. It appeared to me that the disease had tended more to assume a diphtheritic character in houses where there were local unsanitary conditions, such as defective and untrapped drains, and foul privy middens. Several instances were met with in which persons who had had former attacks of scarlet fever had recently suffered from diphtheria, but there were also instances of second attacks of scarlet fever.* The following are instances which appear to illustrate the intercommunicability of scarlet fever and diphtheria. Edith T.y 10, Epworth, died of diphtheria on November 29th. No other diphtheria at Epworth. Her married sister, whose son was ill with scarlet fever, had come to the house several times before her illness. Tummans, Thorne Quay.—In this family there were five cases of diphtheria and two of scarlet fever. The first, a girl of 16, suffered from diphtheria in November, but recovered in about five weeks. She had no rash nor desquamation, but has remained deaf since her illness. In January a boy of 6, and two or three days later, a girl of 21, had diphtheria and scai'let fever together: the girl had subsequent dropsy. Two other children afterwards had diphtheria. There are nuisances in the neighbourhood of the house from pools of sewage and an open middenstead. Fenton, Green, Thorne.—In this family there were in April, 1883, three cases of diphtheria and one of scarlet fever; the first case (diphtheria) was a lad of 16, the second a girl of 2, who died on April 8, of “ diphtheria,” the third a girl of 12, died on April 28, of u scarlet fever,” and the fourth, a girl of 14, had recovered from diphtheria, but her sight was still dim so that she could not read. Wrigle.y, Finkle St. Thorne.—A little girl of 2, child of a printer, in the latter part of September had a typical attack of scarlet fever. She had associated before her illness with another girl who was then sickening with what proved to be an attack of scarlet fever. The printer’s apprentice, aged 17, worked in a room into which the little girl, after her recovery, used to come. He was taken ill on November 6th, of diphtheria, of which he died od November 13th. His mother, at whose house he resided sub¬ sequently suffered from diphtheria, followed by paralysis of the legs and pharynx. In the house in which they lived is a scullery sink with broken bell trap. The following table indicates the progress of the epidemic in the several divisions of the Thorne Union so far as my information goes. The dates of commencement could usually only be obtained approximately. The completeness of the information available as to the number of cases which had occurred varied very much in the districts of the several medical officers of health. Thus in Crowle Urban District no record had been kept of the cases, whereas at Thorne I was furnished with a very full list. Hence the unequal proportions of cases to population, and of deaths to cases, in the two places :— Households attacked. Months. Belton. (Pop. 1719.) 1 Epworth. (Pop. 2178.) Thorne. (Pop. 3484.) Hatfield Division. (Pop. 3592.) Althorpe, Iveadby, and Amcotts. (Pop. 1394.) Crowle Urban District. (Pop. 3353.) Total Thorne Kegistration District. (Pop. 16181.) Scarlet Fever. Diphtheria. Scarlet Fever. Diphtheria. Scarlet Fever. Diphtheria. Scarlet Fern-. Diphtheria. Scarlet Fever. Diphtheria. Scarlet Fever. 5 s Scarlet Fever. Diphtheria. December 1881 1 j 1 January 1882 - 3 3 — February „ - March „ - 1 1 — April — — 1 — 5 — — — 1 — 1 — 8 — May „ ► 3 — — — 8 1 — — — — 1 — 12 1 June „ - 3 — 4 — 2 — — — — — 1 — 10 -- July „ - 1 — 19 — i — — — — — 2 — 23 August „ — •— 10 1 7 — — — — — 4 — 21 1 September „ - 1 — 2 — 13 4 1 — — — 1 — 18 4 October „ - — — 2 — 12 — — 1 — — 3 o 17 3 November „ - 1 1 4 1 22 7 — — 2 — 5 — 34 9 December „ - 5 — 8 1 12 3 — 1 — — 8 — 33 5 January 1883 - 7 1 2 — 7 5 1 — — — 2 — 19 6 February „ - — 1 1 ■— 4 1 — — i — 7 i 13 3 March - — — — — 5 2 8 1 — — _ — 13 3 April „ - — — — — 3 1 1 — — — — — 4 1 May „ - — — — — 3 — 1 — — — — — 4 - Date not ascertained — — 2 — 1 — 1 — — — — — 4 — Total Households - 25 3 56 3 105 24 13 3 4 — 35 3 238 36 Total cases - - 62 3 150 4 237 38 30 9 13 — 88 S 580 62 Total deaths - 17 1 19 1 18 10 3 3 i 2 — 29 2 88 17 * Several instances were met with of women recently confined, and who had not previously had scarlet fever, having been exposed to infection without takingt^^an unusual circumstance. A 3