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Cases of Measles and Whooping Cough were not admitted to
Hospital unless associated with either Diphtheria or Scarlet Fever.
It is hoped that, after the erection of the 18 further cubicles now
proposed, it will be possible to admit the more urgent cases of
Measles and Whooping Cough.
Control over Infectious Diseases.—On receipt of a Notification
of a case of Infectious Disease the patient is removed to Hospital if
necessary, and the room occupied is immediately disinfected with
formalin. Bedding is steam disinfected and library books are
destroyed. If the Notification does not request removal to Hospital
the Infectious Disease Nurse visits the house to ascertain whether the
case can be efficiently isolated and the necessary attention provided.
A printed form of instructions as to the precautions to be adopted to
prevent the spread of infection is left. Information is also obtained
as to the day and Sunday Schools attended, both by the patient and
any other children in the house. Children are excluded from School
until certified as free from infection, the Head Teachers being notified
as to the period of exclusion. Contacts attend the Infectious Disease
Clinic on the following Tuesday.
The source of the milk supply is ascertained and any necessary
action taken. The occupations of all other inmates of the house are
recorded and any contact employed in laundry work or in any way
connected with food supplies is suspended from duty until seen by a
Medical Officer.
The District Sanitary Inspector visits the affected house,
investigates sanitary conditions, and endeavours to trace the source
of infection.
Disinfectant is supplied free of charge for use in homes where cases
are not removed to Hospital, and, following recovery, the room and
bedding used by the patient is thoroughly disinfected by the Council's
Staff.
The following is a summary of the work done during 1930 at the
Infectious Disease "Contact" Clinic:—
Number of sessions held 52
Number of Cases 1,780
Number of attendances made 2,352
Average attendance per Session 45.2
Number of Scarlet Fever Cases discovered 4
Number of Diphtheria Cases discovered 6
Number of non-Clinical Cases of Diphtheria discovered
55
Number of Patients given antitoxin 20
Virulence Tests for Diphtheria 3
Number of Tonsillectomies in Chronic Diphtheria
Carriers 2