A Special Mortality among Infants at Loughton, in the Epping Rural Sanitary District

Transcribed from the 1878 edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org
Edward C. Seaton, M.D., Medical Department , April 15, 1878.
On the 22nd March 1878, complaint was made by Mr. Octavius Deacon, of Golding’s Hill, Loughton, to Mr. Secretary Cross, that a serious attack by skin disease of his own infant had resulted from the use for nursery purposes of violet powder, which on analysis by Mr. G. Jones, F.C.S., had been found to contain in large proportion white arsenic; and further, Mr. Deacon stated his belief that a large and fatal prevalence of skin disease among infants in Loughton had been due to the use in a similar way of violet powder of a like sort. This representation was referred by Mr. Cross to the Local Government Board. On 25th March the Board received a communication from the clerk to the Epping Rural Sanitary Authority enclosing a statement by the Medical Officer of Health to the effect that a special mortality among infants in his district, already reported by him, had, he has now reason to believe, resulted from the use of violet powder impregnated with arsenic. Hereupon the present inquiry was ordered.
I lost no time in putting myself in communication with Mr. Deacon and with the several officers of the Epping Rural Sanitary Authority, and from them received every assistance in carrying out my inquiry. Especially am I beholden to Mr. Fowler, medical officer of health, who has supplied me with important information respecting the occurrences resulting in the mortality referred to; and to Mr. Bell, inspector of nuisances, who has accompanied and assisted me day by day during my investigations. To Mr. Lewis district medical officer, and to other medical men practising in Loughton, my acknowledgments are also due.
The result of this inquiry is as follows:—
Since early March 1877, 29 infants and children in Loughton have been attacked by, and 13 have died of, a peculiar affection of the skin, that had been regarded as an anomalous kind of erysipelas. The disease was described to me by the mothers or others nursing the cases as presenting the following appearances:—