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diseases until the most favourable age is reached at which they can be
withstood.
Treatment in hospital is provided when required owing to social or
physical complications being present, but no cases coming under this
heading were admitted to the Isolation Hospital during 1945. Some
cases may have been admitted to the County Hospitals but of these no
records are available.
A weekly statement of the number of cases of notifiable and known
non-notifiable infectious disease arising in the District has been sent since
1938 to all medical practitioners serving the District.
INFESTATIONS.
(a) Scabies.
The increase in this disease commenced before the onset of hostilities
but was most notable in the earlier war years. Special arrangements
were introduced for its prevention and treatment chiefly because it was
causing great inconvenience and diminishing the capacity for work of
the population.
After preliminary attempts to abate the disease with such remedies
as sulphur, derris powder, etc., it was fortunate that the discovery of
benzyl benzoate made it practicable for this annoying infestation to be
cured much more expeditiously.
Owing to the incipient character of the infestation and the comparative
lack of severity of the symptoms produced, it has only been
practicable gradually to reduce its incidence, progress being complicated
also by the movements of population which have occurred but which
are now diminishing gradually.
Locally the treatment of this disease was centralised at the Coulsdon
First Aid Post, where the Civil Defence Staff voluntarily assisted most
effectively from 1942 onwards.
With the disbandment of the Civil Defence Services it became
necessary to appoint on a part-time basis a Nurse and Male Assistant,
who have continued to use the same premises until recently, when they
were transferred to the Cleansing Centre, Lion Green, Coulsdon.
Treatment sessions are held every morning, excluding Sunday and
Monday, from 9.30 a.m. until noon, and on Tuesday and Saturdayevenings
from 5-7 p.m.