Dr. Page's report to the Local Government Board on the circumstances of recent prevalence of scarlatina and enteric fever at Spennymoor, County of Durham.

  • Page, David, M.D.
Date:
1889
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. Page's report to the Local Government Board on the circumstances of recent prevalence of scarlatina and enteric fever at Spennymoor, County of Durham. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    % OFFICIAL COPY. Dr. Page’s Report to the Local Government Board on the Circumstances of recent Prevalence of Scarlatina and Enteric Fever at Spennymoor, County of Durham. George Buchanan, Medical Department, March 15, 1889. This inquiry was ordered by the Board in consequence of a communication Origin of received on November 12th last from Dr. O’Hanlon, Medical Officer of Health inquiry, of Spennymoor Urban Sanitary District, in reply to the Board’s request for information as to a maintained prevalence of scarlatina and enteric fever which Dr. O’Hanlon had notified on November 2nd to have existed in the district during the previous three months. In this communication the prevalence of both diseases was ascribed to the milk supply derived from a farm in Auckland Rural Sanitary District, outside the jurisdiction of the Spennymoor Sanitary Authority, and at which cases of both scarlatina and enteric fever were ascertained to have occurred. In view of the incompleteness of the evidence Dr. O’Hanlon was able, under these circumstances, to adduce respecting the connexion between the milk service and the prevalence of these fevers, further inquiry was ordered, and I visited Spennymoor for the purpose on November 22nd. On conferring with the sanitary officers, Dr. O’Hanlon, and Mr. Coldwell the Surveyor and Inspector of Nuisances, I learned that while cases of enteric fever and scarlatina had been known in Spennymoor for some time previously, it was not until October 20th that what appeared to be a sudden outbreak of both diseases came to their knowledge. Particular inquiry was thereupon made, with the result that altogether a dozen infected households were discovered. In some of these households cases already convalescent were met with. It had meanwhile 'been rumoured that fever prevailed at a dairy farm outside Spennymoor, in Auckland Rural Sanitary District, having a large milk business in Spennymoor, and attention being directed to the milk supply of the invaded households, it was found that 10 of the 12 had been getting it, directly or indirectly, from this farm. On Saturday, October 27th, Dr. O’Hanlon, accompanied by Mr. Coldwell, visited the farm, and on inquiring after the health of the inmates was told by the farmer himself that from the middle of July up to the date of their visit his household had not been clear of fever, three of its members having been successively ill of typhoid fever, his wife being then only convalescent, while three children had had scarlatina in August last. Upon this evidence a special meeting of the Spennymoor Sanitary Authority was called on Monday, the 29th October, at which Dr. O’Hanlon reported these circumstances, and advised that the sale of milk from the farm should at LONDON: PRINTED FOR HER MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE, BY EYRE AND SPOTTISWOODE, PRINTERS TO THE QUEEN’S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. And to be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from EYRE and SPOTTISWOODE, East Harding Street, Fleet Street, E.C-.; or ADAM and CHARLES BLACK, 6, North Bridge, Edinburgh; or HODGES, FIGGIS, & Co., 104, Grafton Street, Dublin, No. 40. 1889. Price Sixpence.