[Report 1939] / Medical Officer of Health, Cheltenham Borough.

  • Cheltenham (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1939
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1939] / Medical Officer of Health, Cheltenham Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/40 (page 9)
    Ophthalmia Neonatorum, 1939. Cases Vision un- impaired Notified Treated Vision Impaired Total Blindness Deaths At Home In Hospital 3 2 1 3 — — — NOTES ON THE INCIDENCE OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES DURING 1939. Diphtheria. Notifications numbered 136, compared with 179 for 1938. The number of deaths was again 6, giving the higher mortality rate of 4-4% for notified cases compared with 3*4% for 1938. These included two cases of children who died at home without medical attention of any kind, otherwise the figures would have shown an improvement. The ages of the children who died were 2, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 8. None of these had been immunised though a few mild cases occured in immunised children. Immunisation was offered by the circulation of leaflets to the parents in affected schools on more than one occasion and in these schools a high percentage of acceptances was received. IMMUNISATION AGAINST DIPHTHERIA. The following statement gives the figures relating to immunisations carried out during 1939 :— Number of cases in which immunisation was commenced ... 572 Number of completed cases ... ... ... ... ... 627 Number of cases in which attendance ceased before completion 33 Number of Schick Tests ... ... ... ... ... 628 Scarlet Fever. Notifications numbered 90. The disease was mainly of mild type, 72 were admitted to Hospital and no Cheltenham case died. Paratyphoid Fever. One case occured in the autumn at a time when scattered cases were occurring in neighbouring areas of the county. In all probability the infection was present on plums which are often eaten raw. Meningitis. There were three cases of Meningococcal Meningitis showing that this disease was on the upgrade.