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38
PREVENTIVE MEASURES IN CASES OF
INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
During the year considerable effort has been made to perfect the
line of defence against infectious diseases, and it may be well
bariefly to recite the means now adopted in the Public Health
Department. They apply to all notifiable diseases, but particularly
to Diptheria, Enteric Fever and Scarlet Fever.
1. Bacteriological Diagnosis in doubtful Cases.—There are few
agencies having more potential mischief than unrecognised
cases of infectious disease, for such doubtful or mild cases
are not easily controlled, and yet are exceedingly infectious.
In order to meet this difficulty, the Public Health Committee
have made arrangements for bacteriological
diagnosis of such cases. Thus one of the most subtle
means of spreading the disease can be averted in some
measure.
In cases of suspected Phthisis, samples of the expectoration,
in suspected Diphtheria swabbings of the affected
throat, and in suspicious Enteric Fever a few drops
of the patient's blood, are sent to the Jenner Institute.
There can be no question that in each of these
diseases unrecognised cases are potent in injury to others,
and early diagnosis is of the utmost value from a public
health point of view. This arrangement is at the immediate
service of every medical practitioner in the District,
without any fee whatever. During igoo this facility
was made use of on 54 occasions.
2. Isolation of the Patient.—Recognising that Clerkenwell is
peculiar in having a large number of houses ill-adapted
for home nursing of infectious disease, special efforts have
been made to have all cases, where at all possible, removed
to the hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board
for treatment. We have been particularly strict in this
respect, and have thus incurred some criticism. If
evidence were required to show the desirability of such