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administrative work.
In so far as statistics can indicate the work
accomplished by the Department, the year's record
will be found in Table VI. in Appendix A.
Prevention of Infectious Disease.—During the
year, 2,781 visits of inquiry were made with respect
to infectious diseases, 1,259 rooms, as well as several
schoolrooms after closure on account of measles,
disinfected, and 44 tons of bedding, &c., removed
for steam disinfection and purification. These figures
include the extra work entailed by the epidemic of
measles, proving that such work is not beyond the
powers of the Department.
Under Sections 62 and 65 of the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, 139 "letters of advice," covering
extracts from that Act, appropriate sheet of precautions
to prevent the spread of infection, and blank
certificate for the medical practitioner to certify the
recovery of the patient and need of disinfection, were
sent out. It is satisfactory to note that disinfection
was done by the Vestry's Officer in all except 19
cases. An examination of the particulars relating to
secondary attacks, indicates that in one case only
(scarlet fever) was there any evidence pointing to
insufficiency of disinfection.