[Report 1896] / Medical Officer of Health, Mottram U.D.C.

  • Mottram (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1896] / Medical Officer of Health, Mottram U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    7/12 (page 5)
    ERYSIPELAS.—This disease generally arises in houses where the drainage is defective, or where there is overcrowding and want of proper ventilation, and I think the two latter were the principal factors in this case, combined with a want of cleanliness in the house generally. TYPHOID FEVER.—Two cases of this disease occurred in New- street, in July and September ; two others in Old-street, in Septem¬ ber and November, all in the Broadbottom portion of the district, and the remaining one at Mottram Moor, in November. As typhoid was very prevalent in the same streets in the autumn of the previous year, and as typhoid excreta had been buried in the middens, owing to the cottages being without gardens, I think we may undoubtedly connect these cases with those that occurred in the previous autumn, as there was no evidence of the milk or water supply having played any part in the origin of these cases. MEASLES.—This disease was imported into the district by a child vTho had been staying with relations at Hadfield, where the disease was epidemic at the time. After sickening she was sent home, the eruption appearing on the following day. Other chil¬ dren, relatives of this one, some of whom attended school, were unwisely allowed to enter the infected house, although precaution had been given to isolate the case, keep a'll children away from the infected house, and all members of the family from school. This latter precaution was not attended to either by the parents of this child or many others in whose houses the disease existed, con¬ sequently the children from infected houses were allowed to attend school, and the result was that the disease spread rapidly, and soon became epidemic. This disease not being notified, the exact number was not known, but I estimated that not less than 200 were attacked. As the schools appeared to be the chief infective centre, and it seemed to be the only prospect of controlling the disease, and protecting children who attended the schools from the neighbouring village of Hattersley, I advised the closure of