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The spread of whooping cough is extremely difficult to prevent
because no effort is made to detect the disease in its earliest stages by
a bacteriological test, and the diagnosis rests upon a symptom which
does not develop until the illness has been running its infectious
course for some time. The Public Health Department is at all
times willing to assist practising physicians in the diagnosis of this
disease by placing at their disposal the services of the Council's
Bacteriologist.
Rheumatic Fever.
Inquiries are made by the Sanitary Inspectors into the home
environment of cases of rheumatic fever referred by various agencies
to the Public Health Department. Nuisances discovered, such as
dampness, ill-ventilation, and overcrowding are promptly dealt
with by the service of notices under the Public Health (London)
Act, 1891 ; recommendations for accommodation on the London
County Council Housing Estates are also given for suitable cases.
Other Diseases.
No cases of the following diseases were brought to the notice of
the Health Department during 1932, viz., anthrax, epidemic jaundice,
undulant fever, glandular fever, psittacosis.
Disinfection and Disinfestation.
The Council's Disinfecting Station is in Peckham Park Road,
where the bedding, clothing and other articles of patients suffering
from infectious disease are disinfected free of charge by means of
a Manlove Alliott super-heated steam disinfecting machine, or by
the Equifex saturated steam stove. A Goddard Massey Warner
Destructor for the destruction of old bedding and effects, books,
paper, etc., and unsound foods, also forms part of the equipment
of the Disinfecting Station.
Infected books belonging to Public and Subscription Libraries,
and privately owned books, also furs, leather goods, etc., are
disinfected by formalin by means of an apparatus attached to the
disinfecting machines.
The Disinfecting Station is occasionally used for the disinfection
of articles other than those exposed to infection. In such instances
a small charge is made. Rooms that have been occupied by patients
suffering from infectious disease are disinfected by spraying with
formalin solution.
Verminous rooms are disinfected by the application of an
insecticide fluid after the walls have been stripped.
Disinfecting Department—Return of Work.
Number of houses visited. Infectious Disease 4,947
Number of rooms disinfected. Infectious Disease 2,941
Number of houses visited. Verminous 398
Number of rooms disinfected. Verminous 547