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22
Diseases of the Respiratory System.—399
deaths were ascribed to diseases of the respiratory
system, or 20 per cent. of the deaths from all causes,
being 35 below the quinquennial average.
Venereal Diseases.—Ten deaths were certified as
due to venereal diseases including five of infants from
congenital syphilis.
Scheme for the Treatment of Venereal
Diseases.—Consequent upon the report of the Royal
Commission the Local Government Board issued in
July, 1916, the Public Health (Venereal Diseases)
Regulations, together with circulars setting forth the
necessity in the national interest, for Public Health
Authorities taking immediate steps to carry out the
recommendations in the Report of the Royal Commission.
As the outcome of this the London County
Council have entered into arrangements with the governing
bodies of 22 hospitals, under which the hospitals
undertook to appoint a Committee of the hospital staff
to draft a scheme for carrying out the special work at
the hospital relating to the diagnosis and treatment of
venereal disease; which should include the appointment
of a competent staff, the treatment of out-patients at
evening sessions and other suitable times, the provision
of beds for patients, the supply by the hospital of Salversan
or its substitutes to approved medical practitioners,
the supply to practitioners of apparatus for taking
samples of blood, etc., the furnishing of reports on
specimens sent by practitioners, the supply of statistical
information in the work done, the provision of free
instruction for practitioners and students, opportunities
for practitioners to act as clinical assistants at approved
rates of remuneration, the employment of women
doctors in clinics for women, and the issue of printed
instructions for the guidance of patients and practitioners.
The scheme was approved by the Local Government
Board and came into operation on January 1st,
1917.