[Report 1914] / Medical Officer of Health, Bacup Borough.

  • Bacup (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1914] / Medical Officer of Health, Bacup Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ing convalescence. Twenty-two cases, about n per cent, occurred in persons over 15 years of age—eleven 15 to 25 years and eleven 25 to 45 years of age, a much higher pro- portion than in previous epidemics. In 19 houses there were 2 cases each and in 3 houses there were 3 cases each, whilst 1 house had 5 cases. Twelve cases were removed to the Bury Fever Hospital. The cases were distributed over the whole Borough, though fewest in the Weir and Sharneyford districts and most in Stacksteads. All classes were affected and nothing could be traced definitely to any special schools or milk supplies. The average Scarlet Fever sickness rate for England and Wales ought to mean about 60 cases a year for a Borough of our population and it would appear that we have just had our share of the Scarlet Fever epidemic which has occurred in neighbouring districts. In 1900 Scarlet Fever was first notified here when we had 395 cases and in 1903 there were 115 cases, these being the only other years with over 100 cases. Whilst Carbolised Oil is supplied and is useful for rub- bing over the body, I would specially call the attention to the danger of infection by the discharge from the mouth and nose as well as ear discharge, ail of which easily infect toys, pillows, handkerchiefs, etc., and here one might put in a word as regards prevention of all kinds of infectious dis- eases, such a mixture as Measles, Diphtheria, Scarlet Fever, Whooping Cough, Consumption, Sore Throat, and an Ordinary Cold in the head ; they are all due to some mi- crobes or germs which are spread over a wide area when a patient coughs or sneezes, hence to prevent spreading such diseases, people should take care where they cough, etc., not spit, and not suck pens, pencils, toys, shuttles used by other people. These are small but important things which patients com-
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