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25
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
1.—Notifiable Diseases.
Under the Compulsory Notification Clauses of the Public
Health (London) Acts, 1891, and the Orders and Regulations
made thereunder, 4,683 cases of infectious diseases (excluding tuberculosis)
were reported, including small pox 1*, cerebro-spinal fever
23, poliomyelitis acuta 1, ophthalmia neonatorum 50, measles 2,721,
and German measles 402. These 4,683 cases occurred in 4,200 infected
houses, and of the 4,683 cases 1,188, i.e., 25.4 per cent, were removed
to hospital, and 3,495, i.e., 74.6 per cent., remained under
treatment in their homes. If the recently-added notifiable diseases
be excluded so as to make the 1918 figures strictly comparable with
those for previous years, the percentage of cases removed to hospital
during 1918 was 88.4, as compared with 82.8, 82.8, 67.9, 54.7 and
31.5 for the five quinquennia 1911-15, 1906-10, 1901-5, 1896-1900
and 1891-5, respectively, i.e., since the compulsory notification of
infectious diseases came into force under the Public Health (London)
Act, 1891 †
Full particulars of all the compulsory notifiable infectious
diseases are to be found in tabular form.
Nursing in connection with Measles, German Measles, Whooping
Cough, Ophthalmia Neonatorum and Epidemic Diarrhoea cases.
Arrangements were made by the Council with the South London
District Nursing Association and the Ran yard Nurses for the nursing,
free of cost, of patients notified or otherwise known to be suffering
from Measles and German Measles, Whooping Cough, Ophthalmia
Neonatorum and Epidemic Diarrhoea, if (and as) required by the
Medical Officer of Health, and came into force on June 1st, 1918,
being limited for the present, as an experiment, to the Inner Wards
of the Borough.
Every case of Measles and German Measles and Ophthalmia
Neonatorum, when notified, is officially visited and such precautionary
measures are taken in connection therewith as may be found
necessary, including, in the case of Measles and German Measles, the
systematic exclusion of non-protected contact children (i.e., children
who have not previously had the disease) and all contact children
under 5 years of age from schools, or, if desirable, the closing of an
individual class room or class rooms. 0135‡ There is no interference with
medical treatment by the Council's Officers, but medical attendance
is advised in all cases, and nursing, free of cost in suitable case* as
required.
* The smallpox case was a sporadic case (source not traced).
† Arrangements have been made during 1918 for the reception and treatment
of cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum at St. Margaret's Hospital, Leighton
Road, Kentish Town, N.W. 5.
‡ During 1918, 59 Schools (63 class rooms) were dealt with, 671 children
being excluded from the Infants' Departments in connection with 80 Measles
cases reported, and 1 Private School was closed owing to the same disease
having broke out amongst the scholars.