[Report 1914] / Medical Officer of Health, Warwickshire County Council.

Warwickshire (England). County Council.

Date:: 1914

Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1914] / Medical Officer of Health, Warwickshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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the previous year the number was 1,722. Although it is gratifying to note sueh a marked i-eduetion in the prevalence cf this disease, yet judging from its character in past years, I am afraid this reduction will be but short-lived as by the next year or two there will be a large body of more or less susceptible children who will spread the disease in epidemic form of possibly considerable dimensions. I am convinced, however, that this present low death-rate is not merely a matter of coincidence but is in part due to advice given to parents during the visits to the homes of our Health Visiting Staff. To bring about a permanent reduction of the death-rate of sueh a disease as Measles, parents must be educated to the importance of home nursing during an attack. Children arc too fre¬ quently allowed to roam about the streets and play with neighbouring children while in an infective state, thereby running the risk not only of infecting others but of them¬ selves contracting lung complications, a frequent cause of death in this disease. 25. Scarlet Fever.—A diminution in the number of deaths from this disease has taken place, only 18 being registered, whereas the number was 25 in each of the two preceding years. Seven of the deaths occurred in the Urban and 11 in the Rural Districts. Ather- stone was responsible for five of the deaths, but no other District had more than two deaths. Although the death-rate is lower than in the previous year, the number of cases notified was larger, being 1,371 against 1,214. 26. In the Urban Districts 547 cases were notified, the heaviest contributors being Nuneaton 173, Sutton Coldfield 102, and Rugby 91. In the Rural Districts 824 cases were notified. Foleshill had 206, Atherstone 189, Rugby 109, Solihidl 76, and Meriden 71. 27. These figures support what has frequently been shown that when an epidemic of Scarlet Fever assumes considerable dimensions the death-rate is invariably low. The main reason for this is that, as the disease is not virulent in eharacter, less care is taken by parents to prevent the spread of infection, and many cases are so mild as to escape detection and yet are the means of spreading the disease to others, Lhereby augmenting the epidemic until the crest of the wave is reached. 28. The total number of cases removed to hospital was 886, 300 from the Urban and 586 from the Rural Districts. In 1913 of the 611 cases in the Urban Districts, 269 went to Hospital, while the Rural Districts with 603, removed 417 to hospital. 29. Diphtheria.—During the year this disease has shown an increased prevalence, 440 cases being notified, compared with 312 in 1913. There were 139 cases in the Urban and 301 in the Rural Districts. The deaths registered numbered 49, namely, 11 in the Ur})an and 38 in the Rurai Districts. The Death-rate from it was 0 -15, as com¬ pared with 0 TO in the previous year. 30. In the Urban Districts the deaths were recorded as follows :—Kenilworth 1, Leam¬ ington 3, Nuneaton 4, Sutton Coldfield 3. 31. Among the Rural Districts, Alcester had 50 cases with 8 deaths. Rugby had 67 cases with 5 deaths. Atherstone and Foleshill each had 6 deaths and each 25 cases, while Southam and Tamworth each had 4 deaths. 32. When Diphtheria becomes at all virulent in character Hospital treatment is advisable, and when such is not available. Rural patients especially are bound to suffer. With reference to the outbreak in the Alcester District, the Medical Officer of Health reports :— “ The most troublesome outbreak to deal w’ith was at Great Alne, 21 cases occurring in June and July. Owing to the lack of accommodation at the Hospital many of the cases had to be treated at home.” Eight deaths were recorded in the Alcester District during the year. 33. Whooping Cough.—Fifty-four deaths were attributed to this disease, compared with 34 in the previous year, which means a Death-rate from it of 0 T6, compared with 0 TO in 1913. Of the 20 deaths in the Urban Districts, Nuneaton was responsible for 7 and Leamington and Warwick 4 each, while of the 34 deaths which occurred in the Rural Districts, 11 were at Atherstone and 10 at Foleshill. 34. As in Measles, so in Whooping Cough can a great deal be done through the minis¬ trations of the Health Visitor to reduce the Death Rate, which is dependant so much on the care exercised by Mothers in the prevention of bronchial complications. Many young lives could be saved if, during epidemic periods the infected houses could be visited and advice given on the care of the children during such times, both as regards exposure to infection and to the detection of complications likely to prove fatal if neglected.