[Report 1900] / Medical Officer of Health, Leatherhead U.D.C.

Leatherhead (England). Urban District Council.

Date:: 1900

Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: [Report 1900] / Medical Officer of Health, Leatherhead U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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II.—Summary of Sickness and Mortality, during the year, from the Seven Principal Zymotic Diseases, and from certain other diseases which have to be notified under the Infectious Diseases’ (Notification) Act, 1889, and of the Action taken for preventing their spread. 1. —Shall Pox.—No case of this disease was reported. 2. —Whooping Couoh caused no death. 3. —Measles were not very prevalent, and caused no death. 4. —As will be seen on reference to Table III. at the end of the Report, Scarlet Fever (otherwise called Scarlatina), was more or less prevalent during the whole of the year, and, altogether, 60 cases were notified in 47 houses. Fifty-six of the patients were removed to the Isolation Hospital, where one of them died. No other case ended fatally. All the Public Elementary Schools were closed by the Managers from November 27th till the end of the year, as a precaution against the further spread of the disease. 5. —Diphtheria.—In May, a child came from Essex to a house in Church Road, ill with what proved to be Diphtheria, and in the same month, a woman, while on a visit from Hastings, was attacked with it in Clinton Road. In August, a child living near Church Road was attacked with Diphtheria, and the probable source of the infection was not traceable. In September, a child, living in North Street, failed with the disease six days after her return home from the Isolation Hospital, in which she bad been under treatment for Scarlet Fever; and, in the same month, a girl was attacked with it in St. John’s Road, two days after her arrival from Brixton. One of the patients was removed to the hospital. None of the illnesses ended fatally. 6. — Enteric, (otherwise called Typhoid!, Fever. In October, a ease of this fever was notified in a cottage near Highlands Park. The patient came there ill from Chiswick in September, and was not at first suspected to be suffering from this disease, but the diagnosis was confirmed by the Widal test. On about October 12th, two children in a cottage on Leatherhead Common were attacked with this fever, and, about the middle of November, their mother failed with the disease, and was removed to the Leatherhead Cottage Hospital. For some weeks before the commencement of these three illnesses the drains of this house and of the adjoining cottages had been blocked with sewage, and the contents of the cesspool had been running over the ground. On November 7th, a yoimg man arrived in London, from Canada, and came on the 12th to his home on the Kingston Koad, ill with what proved to be Typhoid Fever. On November 17th, he was removed to the Cottage Hospital. 7. —Diarrhoea caused two deaths. The Total Deaths from these seven diseases were 3, viz : one from Scarlet Fever and two from Diarrhoea, which represent an Annual Zymotic Death-Rate of 06 per 1000 of the population. As regards the other Infectious Diseases to which the above-mentioned Act applies :— Of Erysipelas, six cases were notified in six houses : none of them ended fatally. Of Puerperal Fever, no case was notified. Of Membranous Croup, no case was notified. Of Continued Fever, no case was notified.