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76
of the Hampstead General Hospital. This latter also makes any
necessary X-ray examinations.
The following is a summary of the bacteriological work carried
out during the year 1925 and previous years:—
1925.
Positive.
Negative.
Total.
1924.
1923.
1922.
1921
Diphtheria
84
692
776
277
324
590
826
Enteric Fever
—
2
2
6
2
4
2
Specimens of
Sputum
79
287
366
327
299
270
271
X-ray Examinations made
-
-
36
48
35
39
37
Early Disinfection of Premises after Removal of Patients to
Hospital.
During 1925 the Metropolitan Asylums Board, in response to
my suggestion, very kindly undertook to inform me by telephone of
the removal of patients suffering from infectious disease. This
courteous action on the part of the Asylums Board has resulted in
disinfection being much more promptly effected in many cases than
hitherto, when such information was received from the Board by post.
The saving of time effected amounts to as much as 24 hours.
The ideal arrangement is for the disinfecting van to follow the
removal ambulance with little or no interval, and this arrangement
obviates almost entirely any delay, although two Authorities are
concerned with the same case.
Public Health (Small pox Prevention) Regulations, 1917.
No primary vaccinations or revaccinations were performed by the
Medical Officer of Health under these Regulations during the year,
the need not having arisen.
Non notifiable Acute Infectious Diseases.
Important among these is Whooping Cough, and our principal
source of information is the notifications received from school teachers,
which are passed to the Health Visitors for visiting. During 1925
four deaths were due to this disease. The deaths recorded in the
previous years were as follows:—1921, 6; 1922, 2; 1923, 4; and
1924, 4. In the special leaflet which is distributed generally by the
Health Visitors, a page is devoted to this disease, containing advice,
etc., and urging the importance of securing medical aid for these
cases.