[Report 1918] / Medical Officer of Health, Burnley R.D.C.

  • Burnley (England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1918
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1918] / Medical Officer of Health, Burnley R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    38 cases were notified by parents, the remainder by Medical Practitioners. Owing to the prevalence of Measles I had to recommend the closure of the following schools :— Church of England School, Worsthorne, from 18th February to 8th March. Council School, Worsthorne, from 25th February to 15th March. Hapton Church of England School (Infants’) from 4th March to 29th March. Hapton Council School (Infants’) from 4th March to 29th March. Simonstone School, from 11th March to 28th March. Holme School, from 14th March to 28th March. Worsthorne Church School (Infants’) from 13tn March to 28th March. Altham School, from 9th Apri] to 19th Aprij. Read Church School, from 9th April to 19th April. Holme, from 9th April to 19th April. Mereclough, from 9th April to 19th April. The Infants’ Department of Roughlee School was closed from the 11th March to the 28th March owing to the prevalence of Whooping Cough The epidemic death rate for 1918 was 0’35 In 1917 it was 0’63. The average for 10 years is 0*71. The decrease on the previous year is 0*28, and the decrease on the ten years’ average, 0-36. All houses are disinfected with formalin where infectious diseases occur, with the exception of measles. It is impossible to disinfect every house in a rural area where measles exists during an epidemic. 16 houses were disinfected during the year. The four cases of Enteric Fever were removed to HospitaL Two of these cases died at the Hospital. The other infectious cases were isolated and treated at home. INFLUENZA. The outstanding feature as regards public health was the serious epidemics of Influenza which prevailed throughout this country and practically over the whole world. The first epidemic in this district commenced very suddenly at the magneto works at Hapton. On Monday morning, June 10th, over 30 persons left work ill. This firm employed 130 hands,. 15 of whom were absent when work commenced at 6 a.m. Several left work at 7 a.m. Others left at different periods during the day, and on the following day 47 employees were absent. This, apparently, was the beginning of the epidemic, for it quickly spread throughout the adjoining districts.