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
Catalogue details

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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    effectual isolation during illness and disinfection afterwards out of the question, while the Sanitary Authority have failed to make public provision for the one purpose or the other. Table showing the Number of Households Attacked by Scarlatina in Spenny¬ moor and Tudhoe Grange (Durham R.S.D.) Week by Week from July— November, 1888. Spennymoor U.S.D. Tudhoe Grange (Durham R.S.D.). Week ended House¬ holds newly attacked. Primary Attacks. Later Attacks. Attacks afterwards Fatal. House¬ holds newly attacked. Primary Attacks. Later Attacks. Attacks afterwards Fatal. July 7 - 1 1 — — j ~ — — — ., 14- - 9 - 2 ‘ ' ' “ ,, 21 — ' “““ ’ „ 28- - — — ' “ r ■- Auer. 4 - - — r ’ •- „ n - - — — — — — — „ 18- - —- *■— — ' *- ‘>5 . ——. — — — — Sept. 1 - — — ■ ■ — ' n *■“— „ 8 - - — — *—— — — ,, 15 - - 2 2 2 — i — — „ 22- - — — — — — — „ 29- - 1 1 1 — — — Oct. G - - 7 8 11 I — — — ., 13 - - 4 5 4 2 ! — — •— „ 20- - 5 5 5 1 2 2 3 2 27 - 1 - 13 16 2 2 2 2 — • •— Nov. 3 - - 3 3 • 3 1 1 2 — — .. 10 - - — — — 9 w 1 2 — 2 „ 17- 94 - — 1 Dec. 1 - - — — — 1 ] 1 1 — — - — — — — ■— — ■— Totals - t - 38 43* 28 11 7 9 3 4 * The difference between 43 and 38 is due to the circumstances that in five households two members in each were simultaneously attacked. As to the milk supply, none of the seven infected families in Tudhoe Grange obtained milk from the suspected dairy farm, while of the 38 infected families in Spennymoor Urban District, seven used no milk or condensed milk only, 23 were supplied from different dairies, and eight only out of a total of 144 families were known to have used milk from the dairy in question. Mr. Coldwell was good enough to obtain for me lists of customers of the several inilksellers in the district, and I find that the incidence of attack upon the two groups of customers has been 5| per cent, upon ascertained customers of the suspected dairy, and 6 per cent, upon customers of other sources, a result in accordance with the general evidence obtainable. The outcome of this part of the inquiry proves conclusively that whatever suspicion may prima facie have been justified against the milk service in question, the prevalence of scarlatina has on this as upon previous occasions in Spennymoor been due to the customary agencies of its spread. Enteric or typhoid fever is commonly assigned as a cause of mortality year Enteric by year in Spennymoor. In 1882 it caused five deaths; in 1883 three fever, deaths; in 1885 and 1886 fever as a cause of death was represented by a fatal case certified as typlms, and in 1887 by two deaths referred to enteric fever. During 1888 no cases of fever came under notice prior to July, when a death certified from typhus fever occurred; and the family having left the neighbourhood at the date of my visit, no further information could be had respecting it. About the end of August a case of enteric fever came under the immediate care of Dr. O’Hanlon. Two families living in different localities of Spennymoor became attacked in September, and during October the disease may be described as prevalent in the town, attacking 11 families in Spennymoor Urban District in addition to one family in Tudhoe Grange. Two families in Spennymoor and one family in Tudhoe Grange were attacked 200—3/89. Wt. 20557. E. & S. A 2 E 57309.