[Report 1919] / Medical Officer of Health, Colchester Borough.

  • Colchester (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1919
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1919] / Medical Officer of Health, Colchester Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    imljecile children were suffering from congenital heart defects, two the were Mongolian idiots and one was an advanced case of Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Any infectious disease was almost certain to be fatal to them. , The soldier had suffered from poisoning by Mustard Gas. His condition was very grave upon admission and he showed no ability to resist the disease. Diphtheria. This disease also was more prevalent but never in epidemic form. In the Autumn there were signs of both Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria increasing, and as many cases of both these diseases were occurring in and around London an epidemic of one or the other was feared. To the fact that almost every case of both these diseases is removed to hospital and that the throats of all Diphtheria contacjts are examined for the Diphtheria organism,and such contacts as are found tobe harbouring this Bacillus are also removed to hospital, may be ascribed the escape of the Borough from an epidemic. The number of cases of Diphtheria notified was 82 and these 82 cases were removed to the Isolation Hospital. Civilian cases were 57, military cases were 22, and three cases were from the Royal Eastern Counties Institution. The throats of eight contacts were found to contain the Diphtheria Bacillus and they were all taken into the hospital. In the Autumn the type of Diphtheria was extremely severe and virulent. It was remarkable for the very slight throat symptoms with great swelling of the glands in the nock. In at least two cases this was mistaken for Mumps. Cases of this type received into the hospital on or after tlie third day were almost invariably fatal. Twenty-two cases were admitted to the hospital from outside the Borough. There were 11 deaths from Diplitheria. One of these occurred in tlie town before notification, the other 10 died at the Fever Hospital,