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37
PREVALENCE OF AND CONTROL OVER
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
Excluding chicken pox the total number of notifications received during the
year was 543 in comparison with 685 in the year 19'21.
Attention has h!«d again especially to be called to the non-notification of
whooping cough, primary pneumonia and ophthalmia neonatorum. A list of the
notifiable diseases was in 1920 supplied to all doctors practising in the Borough.
Smallpox.
One notification was received of a case of smallpox a female aged 34. The
patient attended a general hospital for treatment and was provisionally diagnosed
as suffering from smallpox. The Hospital Authorities arranged for removal to
the receiving wards of the Metropolitan Asylums Board. The patient was
returned home the following day certified not to be suffering from smallpox. In
the meantime the residence of the patient, bedding, etc., were disinfected and all
contacts vaccinated or re-vaccinated.
In consequence of the outbreak of smallpox in London special steps were
taken to deal with any case arising in the Borough. Posters and leaflets respecting
the advantages of vaccination were issued. Arrangements were made with the
Public Vaccinators and Vaccination Officer to secure the prompt vaccination and
re-vaccination of all contacts.
The Medical Officer of Health also obtained a supply of lymph and in
accordance with the powers conferred on him personally carried out a number of
vaccinations.
With a view to assisting in the detection of any suspected case in the Borough
the Council, pursuant to powers under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891,
made an Order requiring the notification of chicken pox for a period of six months.
The Order was approved by the Ministry of Health and came into operation on
the 4th day of December, 1922.
Up to the end of the year, 21 notifications of chicken pox were received.
All these were visited and information was sent to the Vaccination Officer
respecting a number of children found to be unvaccinated.
Information respecting a number of suspected cases of smallpox was furnished
to the Medical Officer of Health by various medical practitioners. All these cases
were at once seen by the Medical Officer of Health or one of the smallpox experts
of the London County Council. Fortunately no case of genuine smallpox occurred
in the Borough during the year.
Sixty-two cases of smallpox were notified in London, with 20 deaths. This
comparatively heavy mortality rate is an indication that we cannot legitimately