London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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City of London 1900

Report on the proceedings of the Public Health (Sanitary) Department of the Corporation of London during the year 1900

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37
"generally speaking, those which are available against
"the more ordinary epidemic diseases of this country,
"as set forth in the accompanying ' General Memo"randum.'
These measures include prompt removal of
"the sick persons to hospital and their isolation therein;
"the destruction or thorough disinfection of all infected
"articles, with the effectual disinfection also of the
"invaded dwelling place ; the keeping under observation
"during 10 days after detection of each plague case all
"persons who have been in contact with the patient, and
"house to house visitation for the discovery of
"unreported or suspicious cases; the abatement as
"speedily as possible of all insanitary conditions in the
"locality which may tend to the spread of the disease;
"and, in the case of death, the prompt disposal of the
"corpse, with all due precautions against its becoming
"a source of infection.
"An essential measure of precaution in view of the
"observed relation between plague in rats and plague
"in the human subject, will be the prompt destruc"tion
of all rats in districts threatened or invaded by
"plague, care being taken that their carcases are col"lected
and burnt without being unduly handled.
"It is to be noted that when treated in a well
"appointed hospital, with plentiful fresh air and proper
"attention to cleanliness and disinfection, plague,
"except in its pneumonic and septicemic forms, shows
"but small infective power; and that therefore doctors
"and nurses in attendance on the sick run but little
"risk of contracting the disease. Nevertheless, these
"and other persons brought into close relation with
"plague, may be afforded protection against infection
"by submitting themselves to protective inoculation of
"the sort practised with advantage to the inhabitants