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68
The whole subject of the treatment of Ophthalmia
Neonatorum was dealt with during the year in a special
report, which appears as Appendix B in the present volume.
Administrative Action to Prevent the Spread of
Notifiable Infectious Diseases.—An isolation hospital
with 166 beds is provided by the Council for cases of scarlet
fever, diphtheria, and enteric fever. In addition arrangements
have been made to isolate in the Hospital, provided
accommodation is available, cases of cerebro-spinal meningitis,
poliomyelitis, and any other notifiable infectious disease,
except small-pox and tuberculosis. All cases of scarlet fever,
diphtheria, enteric fever, cerebro-spinal meningitis and
poliomyelitis are offered isolation there. In certain cases
home isolation is permitted, and then visits are paid by the
health visitors to ascertain that effective isolation is being
maintained. During the year, as will be seen from Tables
Nos. 28, 32 and 33, 89.1 per cent. of scarlet fever cases, 85.2
per cent. of diphtheria cases, and 92.3 per cent of enteric
fever cases were isolated in Hospital.
Besides isolation, administrative action includes disinfection,
search for suspicious cases amongst contacts, and
exclusion of contacts from school.
Disinfection is carried out by officers of the Health Department
in every case of scarlet fever, diphtheria or enteric
fever. This is not a measure, however, which is now
regarded as of first importance in tending to prevent the
spread of infectious disease, as it is recognised that infectious
persons and not rooms or articles are the agencies
by which disease is spread.
In all instances in scarlet fever, diphtheria, and enteric
fever, the health of the other members of the family is
enquired into, and if suspicious, they are referred to a doctor
or a swab or blood specimen, as the case may require, is
taken for examination at the Council's Laboratory.