[Report 1909] / Medical Officer of Health, Devon County Council.

  • Devon (England). County Council.
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1909] / Medical Officer of Health, Devon County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    “ more nearly approaching their normal aspect. Most of the “ cases were of a mild type and there were no fatalities. Anti- *~T>Qxin is supplied by the Authority and two negative swabs “ arty obtained before disinfection is carried out.” Dr. Blair Cullen for Tiverton reports, “ The number of cases ” of diphtheria showed no abatement until the middle of the “ year, and as it appeared that the chief cause of the spread “ of the disease lay in the contact between children at school, “ extensive throat swabbing was resorted to, with the co- “ operation of the county medical officer and the school “ medical officer, and b}^ this means children showing symptoms “ were excluded from school. The schools were also regularly “ disinfected and the disease was checked, so that from the end “ of September it practically ceased, only 2 cases being notified “ after that date.” Dr. Dunlop reports, that 61 cases with 7 deaths were notified in Torquay. Four of these received no antitoxin treatment, and 2 were practically moribund, before medical aid was sought. The cases were due to school contacts, and in one, a child was allowed to see and kiss another child who had died from the disease. In the rural areas, an outbreak of 6 cases was reported at Monkleigh in the Bideford district. It was caused by school “ carriers,” and effectually checked by bacteriology. Dr. Gray for Holsworthy, reports an outbreak at Bradworthy, where an unrecognised case occurred in a farmer’s daughter. Very soon a man-servant was attacked by a very severe type of the disease. He communicated it to three of his children, as no hospital accommodation was available for a week, when it was too late to use the cottage provided. Two special reports on this outbreak were made to the Local Government Board. Dr. Mapleton reports for Newton Abbot, that 75 cases were notified against 30 for last year. The disease affected, more or less, all the sanitary districts except those on the sea border, which escaped entirely. The parishes mostly affected were Chudleigh, Kingsteignton, Bovey Tracey and Ilsington. Dr. Mapleton regrets the difficulty in dealing with these out- breaks, on account of the present isolation hospital question.