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65
of the lady health visitors. During the very hot summer of 1911,
for the first five weeks of the excessively warm weather, the
diarrhoea deaths in Finsbury were very few. Later, the number
increased very much. It would appear that the mothers got
tired of observing the domestic precautions and household cleanliness
to be adopted,-and were more or less incapable of sustained
effort and continuing watchfulness. During the hot summer
months—leaflets on summer diarrhoea are distributed and redistributed
to every tenement in the poorer parts, and a special
watch is kept over the disposal of household refuse. Notices
for the abatement of nuisances are served at once.
Sanitary feeding bottles, appropriate teats, milk-jug cloth
covers, cot covers, and bristle brushes for the cleansing of
feeding bottles are given gratis or sold at cost price. Tablets
of disinfectant soap for house cleaning are given on request,
and are offered in suitable cases.
The Lady Sanitary Inspector pays rapid visits to the areas
where the stress of these diseases is greatest to offer advice, to
distribute dispensary tickets, to secure the prompt amendment
of nuisances, and to impress upon parents in affected households
the absolute necessity of immediate treatment. Re-visits are paid
to see that the mothers do actually secure medical treatment
for their babies. The diseases are not notifiable.
Information of the cases is derived from the weighing centres,
from schools, from district visitors, from voluntary associations
and by systematic house to house enquiry in the slums. In the
poorer houses means are taken to obtain the speedy removal of
cases to the poor law infirmary.
Diphtheria and Scarlet Fever.—The deaths due to these
diseases are quite small in number, and during the last six years
have averaged only two in each year. The cases are subject to
the public health measures of notification, isolation and removal
to hospital.
Tuberculous Diseases.—Tuberculosis was responsible for
70 deaths in 6 years, or an average number of 12 deaths per