Mr. W.H. Power's report to the Local Government Board on an outbreak of diphtheria in the Local Board district of Ealing / [W.H. Power].

  • Power, William Henry, Sir, 1842-1916.
Date:
[1887?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Mr. W.H. Power's report to the Local Government Board on an outbreak of diphtheria in the Local Board district of Ealing / [W.H. Power]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Official Copy. Mr. W. H. Power’s Report to the Local Government Board on an Outbreak of Diphtheria in the Local Board District of Ealing. 11',, , p r * • r ‘ ’ , ► .l . » r. • • ...... y -‘V kit ...;&RARY »' —u».4nnMi k vronerai Collections L_ +P I Inquiry into this outbreak, repeatedly urged on the Board by the local sanitary authority and by numerous private persons in Ealing, was ordered 5th February. On Monday 7th February I, as directed, visited Ealing and conferred with the chairman, and other members, and with the officials of the local authority on the subject of the outbreak. The particulars previously reported to this Board, along with others learned at this visit, are instructive and deserve to be narrated in chronological order. On Monday 24th January, the Medical Officer of Health of Ealing (Mr. Patten) had observed in his private practice two unquestionable cases of recently developed diphtheria, and learned from his partner the existence of other two similar cases. He inferred therefrom a probable commencement in Ealing of an outbreak of this malady, and forthwith instituted inquiry on the subject among the other medical practitioners in the district. By the 26th January he had in this and in other ways got to hear of 20 or more cases of recent diphtheria or diphtheritic sorethroat, and had ascertained that the outbreak, so far as particulars as to dates of attack and localities of residence were supplied to him, had been limited to well-to-do people, and that it had been practically simultaneous over a very wide area of the district, affecting indifferently houses on two separate and distinct systems of sewers. Further he had learned that most if not all the diphtheria cases, particulars of which were to hand, had occurred among the milk customers of one and the same dairy. On this day (26th January) therefore the Medical Officer of Health and the surveyor of the Local Board, made an inspection of the dairy premises in question and of its associated dairy farm, both of which are situated in the Ealing district. But at neither place was discovery made of any unwhole¬ some condition, in the way of obvious sanitary defect or disease of men* or of animals, of a nature to explain that infectiveness of the milk which was held by these officers to be provisionally indicated by the facts which had been collected. At this stage of the proceedings therefore it was decided to invite the co-operation of Professor Corfield in investigation of the outbreak, more particularly in reference to its seeming relations with milk service. * One of the milk carriers employed at the dairy who suffered diphtheria, was found to have been attacked not before but after the disease had begun to appear among customers of the dairy. LONDON: PRINTED FOR HER MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE, BY EYRE AND SPOTTISWOODE. And to be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from EYRE and SPOTTISWOODE, East Harding Street, Fleet Street, E.C., ADAM and CHARLES BLACK, 6, North Bridge, Edinburgh; or HODGES, FIGGIS, & CO., 104, Grafton Street, Dublin. Ho. 15. 4 Price