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

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Bethnal Green 1904

Report on the sanitary condition and vital statistics during the year 1904

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could trace no source of infection. The Sanitary
Inspectors worked in a most praiseworthy manner, the
staff of disinfectors was largely increased, and they
were kept at work early and late. As fast as the
patients were removed the rooms were disinfected and
the walls stripped of paper. All contacts were kept
under observation and visited by me on the least sign
of illness; employers were notified, and the Public
Vaccinators got notice of each case as it was dealt
with. The whole matter received careful consideration
at the hands of the Public Health Committee, who on
my recommendation advised the Borough Council to
make chicken-pox a notifiable disease. This was done,
and the Order came into operation on March 26th.
The London County Council followed our example
and made chicken-pox a notifiable disease throughout
London for a period of four months. This Order came
into operation on April 8th, 1904. The L.C.C. also
appointed Mr. S. Bingham, formerly Medical Superintendent
of one of the small-pox hospitals, and Mr. W.
Wanklyn, lately Medical Superintendent of the River
Ambulance Service, as referees, to facilitate the diagnosis
of doubtful cases of small-pox. I was glad to avail myself
of these gentlemen's services on several occasions.
The chicken-pox Order of the London County
Council was once renewed, and finally expired on
November 7th. As I learned that it was not the
intention of that Council to again extend the Order, I
made a report to the Public Health Committee, who
advised the Borough Council to make a new Order.
This was accordingly done, and chicken-pox is still
notifiable in Bethnal Green.