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153
Small-pox threatens. It is cause for considerable anxiety to Medical
Officers of Health that the country threatens to become a practically
unvaccinated community; for many of the children who are nominally
vaccinated are but very imperfectly protected by the growing
practice of one-mark vaccination. It is often contended that our
sanitary administration has reached such a stage of efficiency that we
have little to fear from Small-pox, but out comparatively recent
experience in London taught us that the notification of the disease
(including the temporary notification of Chicken-pox), and our
arrangements for vaccinating contacts and promptly isolating sufferers,
did not suffice to prevent a considerable amount of spread of the
disease, a great dislocation of trade, and an enormous expense to the
community.
THE DISINFECTING AND CLEANSING STATION.
During the year ending December 31, 1911, the following disinfecting
and cleansing work was performed at the station:—
Total number of textile articles disinfected 9,795
Total number of books from Public Library disinfected 114
Total number of verminous persons cleansed 256
Of the verminous persons cleansed, 254 were children, mostly of
school ages; the 2 adults being 2 males.
In addition to the disinfection of rooms on account of the compulsory
notifiable diseases, 76 rooms were fumigated on account of
vermin, 33 on account of consumption, and 7 on account of cancer.
During the year the Borough Council continued its agreement
with the Education Department of the London County Council to
bathe and cleanse verminous school children, resident in Stoke Newington,
on payment of 2s. for the cleansing of each child; but in the
event of any one child requiring more than one bath a minimum
charge of 2s. for a series of 3 baths, or for each subsequent series or
part of a series, no series to extend over a period of more than 4 weeks.