Report of the Medical Officer of Health on the public health and sanitary circumstances of Johannesburg.

  • Johannesburg (South Africa)
Date:
[1911]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Medical Officer of Health on the public health and sanitary circumstances of Johannesburg. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    59/140 (page 36)
    86 4. June, 1911.—During June, 1011, information was received native children residing at Witkopjes, between Boksburg and Benoni admitted to the Rietfontein Lazaretto suffering from smallpox. that certain m.o.h. 1909-11 , had been Smallpox. Scarlet Fever. Diphtheria. The outbreak was dealt with by the District Surgeon and local Medical Officer of Health, but beyond tracing possible contacts, further action by your Department was not called for. The routine measures adopted by the Department in dealing with smallpox will, no doubt, prevent any extensive spread of the disease, provided the notification is early, concealment does not take place, and contacts are readily traced. On the other hand, if any of the above conditions are not complied with, the factors are present for a very serious outbreak, especially in a community where vaccination and re-vaccination are not compulsory for whites. Natives are fairly well protected, because vaccination is compulsory at the Pass Office. If, however, a community is to be efficiently protected. Public Vaccinators should be appointed and an adequate supply of reliable lymph provided. Unfortunately, during the above outbreaks, complaints were received from many quarters that the lymph provided was almost useless, and it was necessary for the Council to make strong representations to Government in regard to the matter. SCARLET FEVER. 1909-10. 1910-11. Cases. Deaths. Cases. Deaths. Whites . 610 33 068 22 Natives 1 — 1 — Ettrafricax .. 5 — 5 — Asiatics 2 2 i — In 1909-10 the mortality was equal to 0’29 per 1,000 persons living. In 1910-11 there was a welcome drop to 0-17, but even this is much higher than the 1910 rate for the 77 Great English Towns, namely, 0'08. On the other hand, individual English towns suffered more severely than Johannesburg, the rate for Coventry being 0'31 and for Bury 0-34. As pointed out in the last Report, general experience elsewhere has shown that the disease is more or less continually prevalent in all large towns, anc that once in every five or six years it becomes widely epidemic. Our knowledge of its methods of spread is probably very incomplete, and actual proof of the theory that there are “ carriers ” of scarlet fever (as in diphtheria and enteric) will not be forthcoming till the particular organism which causes scarlet fever has been discovered. Hospital isolation on a large scale has not been practised; in fact, only a little over 15 per cent, of all cases have been so treated. The accommodation at Rietfontein is not unlimited, and the expense is enormous, each patient so isolated costing the community 10s. 6d. per day. Unless, therefore, satisfactory assurances are forthcoming that repayments will be made, onlv those patients are removed who would otherwise be a serious danger to the public health. European experience has shown that isolation of scarlet fever entails an expense which, in the opinion of many, has hitherto been out of proportion to the preventive results obtained. While no doubt it is of great benefit from the point of view of convenience to the general public, it does not play the part which was expected in the prevention of the disease. DIPHTHERITIC DISEASE INCLUDING MEMBRANOUS CROUP. 1909-10. 1910-11. Cases. Deaths. Cases. Deaths. Whites .. 40 22 60 20 Natives .. 4 1 3 1 Eurafrtcax 2 3 — q »> Asiatics — — — —•