Epidemic catarrhal jaundice / by W.G. Booth and C.C. Okell.

  • Booth, W. G.
Date:
[1928?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Epidemic catarrhal jaundice / by W.G. Booth and C.C. Okell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Keprtntedfrom .public Health, May, 1928. Epidemic Catarrhal Jaundice. *CL By W. G. Booth, M.B., B.S. Lond., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., D.P.H, Assistant County Medical Officer of Health, Surrey; and C. C. Okell, M.C., M.B., M.R.C.P., D.P.H., Wellcome Physiological Research Laboratories, Beckenham, Kent. A number of questions have been raised with regard to the occurrence of cases of jaundice of this type, and these two contributions dealing with the clinical and pathological aspects of the condition will be read with interest. Both papers were submitted at a meeting of the Home Counties Branch of the Society on November 4th, 1927. DR. W. G. BOOTH. HE occurrence of an infectious disease in a school is a matter of importance to all school medical officers. Should the infectious disease assume epidemic form, and the literature on the subject be found to be scanty, the school medical officer is faced with a perplexing problem. It was owing' to these circumstances that the facts collected from the Surrey outbreaks of epidemic catarrhal jaundice were considered to be worthy of detailed record. The name epidemic catarrhal jaundice given to the disease by Cockayne in 1912, is retained for the purposes of description. An investi¬ gation into an outbreak of jaundice among children at a small rural school at Longcross, near Chertsey, in December 1926, led to the notification of all cases of jaundice absent from schools of the Surrey County Council. This notification took effect from April 1st, 1927, to the end of July, 1927. It resulted in 106 cases being notified. The investigations which arose from them form the basis of this paper. I do not propose to give any particulars of the pathological examinations, which will be dealt with in more detail bv Dr. Okell in the paper which follows. The Longcross Outbreak. — Longcross,* situated about three miles from Chertsey, is a purely rural area. The houses are scattered and the children well cared for and well clothed. The school is completely isolated from any other buildings; it is a well-built brick school, consisting of two rooms well lighted and ventilated. The number attacked bv jaundice was seventeen. The number of children attending* the school is forty-nine. Case 1.—The first case occurred in a girl aged thirteen, living about a mile from the school. She complained of abdominal pain, headache and sickness on August 18th and 19th, 1926. jaundice developed on August 20th. This passed off in a few days, and no doctor was called in to see her. No history of contact with a case of jaundice could be obtained. Case 2.—On September 27th, the younger brother, aged five, of the above girl, developed abdominal pain, headache and nausea. This continued until jaundice developed on October 2nd. This was diagnosed by their own doctor. This boy slept in the same room as his sister. Case 3.—The next case was a girl aged seven, who sat in the next seat to case 2, in school; she had diarrhoea, headache and sick¬ ness for one week from October 20th to October 27th, when jaundice developed; this was diagnosed by their own doctor. Case 4.—A boy, aged eleven years, living in a different direction from any other school children, had abdominal pain and headache on October 28th, 1926; headache continued for four days. The urine was red on October 30th. Jaundice was diagnosed by their own doctor on November 1st. Case 5.—A boy, aged seven years, also sat next to case 2. Sickness on November 1st— there was no headache in this case. He ut- came progressively worse, and on November oth, jaundice was diagnosed by their own doctor. Slight conjunctival jaundice was present when the bov was examined on December 9th. Case 6.—A boy aged eleven years, brother of case 3. Sickness and diarrhoea commenced on November 5th, headache developed on November 6th, jaundice appeared on November 12th, and was diagnosed by their doctor. Case 7.—A girl, aged nine years, sister of case 3, sleeps with case 3. Sickness and diarrhoea commenced November 12th, head¬ ache was present on November 12th, 13th, and