[Report 1879] / Medical Officer of Health, Newcastle-upon-Tyne City & County.

  • Newcastle upon Tyne (England). City & County Council.
Date:
1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1879] / Medical Officer of Health, Newcastle-upon-Tyne City & County. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ''Report on the working of the arrangement for the isolation of cases of Infectious Disease, and upon the influence which it has exercised upon the spread of infection, “The arrangement works fairly well, so far as it goes, i.r., amongst the poor. Typhus, which at one time was endemic and frequently epidemic, has several times broken out during the past five or six years, but has of late always been effectually stamped out at an early period by prompt isolation of patients in Hospital, most of whom are admitted at the cost of the Sanitary and Poor-Law Authorities. The Hospital was also of great service in the severe epidemic of Small-pox during the years 1871-2. “ The admissions from Scarlet Fever and Measles are always few in number in proportion to the cases in the Borough, on account of the objection of parents to their children leaving home. For want of infectious wards for children, with special arrangements by which, if necessary, mothers may be isolated with, and nurse, their own children suffering from Measles and Scarlet Fever—epidemics of these diseases cannot be effectually dealt with. “Many infectious patients of the artizan class, who might be expected to defray their own expenses, object to the charge, but would go readily to the Hospital if admission were free. The home treatment of Febrile diseases by the Dispensary prevents many cases from being removed to Hospital. The Medical Officers recom¬ mend their infectious patients to go to Hospital, but the governing body of that institution, though desirous of preventing the spread of disease, do not consider they would be justified in allowing their officers to discontinue attendance. The Hospital is not used by patients in good circumstances. As a rule these cannot be properly isolated in private houses. Comfortable private wards for such cases are needed. The subject is at present under the consideration of the Sanitary Authority. “Isolation is the most effectual means of preventing the spread of infection. Ifor this object Hospital accommodation should be ample, easily available by the poor, and attractive to those in good circumstances.” The Committee have been, as usual, advised from time to time of the cases removed to the Fever tlospital, of which a detailed list is given (Appendix I., Table XIII.)—The admissions this year have been remarkably few, having been 38 only in all. The most noteworthy par¬ ticulars as to the admissions are those referring to two outbreaks of Typhus in different parts of the town, both of which were effectually checked by removal of the cases to Hospital. In one of these outbreaks, which was localized in the Swirle, St. Ann’s Street, Anchor Bank, and Xew Hoad, 11 cases came under observation between the middle of September and the end of December. All were connected with each other by contagion. All except one case (under private medical treat¬ ment) were removed to Hospital. The other outbreak occurred in two families in Concord Court, Manors, during October and November.