[Report 1920] / Medical Officer of Health, Harpenden U.D.C.

  • Harpenden (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1920
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1920] / Medical Officer of Health, Harpenden U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    department of the Church of England School No. 86 was closed on February 20th for six weeks for whooping cough, and on May 3rd for three weeks for measles. Food. (a) Milk Supply.—4 Cowsheds have been inspected and periodically limewhited. I think it can be said that the milk produced within or imported into the district is wholesome, and that the arrangements for its supply and distribution are adequate. The taking of samples is under the jurisdiction of the County Council. (b) Meat.—There is no public abattoir. The condition of the three slaughterhouses has been satisfactory. Meat is inspected in the slaughterhouses and butchers’ shops. 11 carcases were found to be unfit for food either from tuberculosis or other causes. These were destroyed by the inspector with the consent of the owners. No legal proceed- ings were necessary. All the slaughterhouses (3 in number) were in use in 1914, and in January and December 1920. (c) Bakehouses.—There are 6 of these. They were periodically inspected and the regulations were carried out. Prevalence of, and control over, Infectious Diseases. Infectious Diseases Generally.—-The notifications consisted of 6 cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis; 2 Non-Pulmonary ; 12 Scarlet Fever (8 removed to Hospital^; 7 Diphtheria (6 removed to Hospital;) 3 Malaria ; 1 Pneumonia; 2 Erysipelas ; 1 Cerebro-spinal Fever ; 1 Encephalitis Lethargica ; and 1 of Ophthalmia Neonatorum, making 36 in all. In addition there were small attacks of Whoopihg Gough in the early part of the year, and of measles in the summer. The Council makes arrangements for the examination of throat swabs, the supply of diphtheria antitoxin in necessitous cases, and the examination of sputum for tubercle bacilli. These were largely taken advantage of—38 throat swabs and 13 samples of sputum were reported upon. In the case of Cerebro-spinal Fever, the infection was contracted abroad. The diagnosis was confirmed by the discovery of the meningo ccecus in the Cerebro-spinal fluid. Unfortunately the patient died in the Isolation Hospital.