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The Health Officers pay further visits to the home, but the frequency of these depends upon
the severity of the case, the type of home and mother, and the urgency of other work demanding
their attention.
For six days in July, the Kensington Council of Social Service undertook propaganda work
in regard to the prevention of enteritis by the institution of what was called a " Fly Week." This
effort was a very valuable adjunct to the efforts being made by the Borough Council.
A lecturer accompanied by a van, kindly lent by a North Kensington resident, loaded with
practical exhibits, traversed North Kensington from end to end giving instruction to groups of
people who gathered round on the best way of dealing, from the point of view of health, with the
fly nuisance. The paid lecturer was supported during her campaign by volunteers. The efforts of
the Kensington Council of Social Service were supplemented by the Health Visitors who, as far as
other work permitted, accompanied the van and assisted the lecturer.
Refuse removal and the general scavenging of streets and mewsways are amongst the most
important factors in the prevention of enteritis and a description of the preventive work of
the Borough Council would not be complete unless reference were made to their efforts in these
matters. This section of the report is intended to deal with the prevention and treatment of
zymotic enteritis under the scheme controlled by the Public Health Committee on behalf of the
Council, and it is, therefore, not necessary to give a detailed statement of the refuse removal and
scavenging work carried out. Reference will, however, be made to these matters, which are under
the direction of the Works Committee, in the section dealing with Administration.
Home Nursing and Treatment.
For the purpose of home nursing and treatment, the Council have made use of the facilities
offered by the Kensington District Nursing Association, which have proved so excellent in
connection with the Council's scheme for dealing with ophthalmia neonatorum.
Cases from the point of view of home nursing and treatment by the Council come under the
following headings:—
(a) Doctor in attendance and nursing assistance from the Council not needed.
(b) Doctor in attendance who proposes to treat the case throughout, but such nursing
assistance as the Council could offer welcomed.
(c) Doctor in attendance who desires the child to go to hospital, or is prepared to hand
over the case entirely to officers working under the Council.
(d) No doctor in attendance.
Cases in Group (a) are visited and advised from the preventive aspect, but no further action is
taken by the Council's officers.
Cases in Group (b) are visited and arrangements made by the Health Officers for nurses from
the Kensington District Nursing Association to attend. (In cases residing in the Golborne
Infant Welfare Centre area, the Centre nurse attends).
Cases in Groups (c) and (d) require special attention. Most of these cases are children of poor
parents who either cannot afford to pay for a doctor or who can pay for a first visit but cannot
continue to pay for subsequent visits. Cases in Group (d) include children of parents who, owing
to poverty or negligence, fail to obtain medical assistance until the child is moribund.
Arrangements are made by the Women Health Officers for nursing assistance to be rendered
to cases in Groups (c) and (d) immediately upon ascertaining that such is required. Medical
assistance is also obtained from the Board of Guardians or the Council's part time Medical Officer.
In the event of a severe outbreak of this disease occurring, or at such other time when there
may be any undue pressure of other work to be carried out by the nurses of the District Nursing
Association, the Infant Welfare Centres have indicated that they are prepared to allow their staffs
of trained nurses to assist in the home nursing of this disease.
In preparing their scheme for treatment, the Council recognised that there are certain cases
which could be dealt with more satisfactorily if the hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board
were made available for the treatment of enteritis, and inasmuch as the Board's hospitals are not
so extensively used during the summer months, when zymotic enteritis is more usually prevalent,
the Council approached the Board and invited their co.operation. The Board went into the matter
very sympathetically and in due course intimated that they were prepared to reserve a number of
beds in their hospitals for the treatment of cases of this disease specially recommended by Medical
Officers of Health. Several Kensington patients were admitted during the year, but it is hoped to
take more advantage of this accommodation in the future.
In the past many enteritis patients have been admitted to the wards of St. Mary Abbot's
Hospital and the beds of the Metropolitan Asylums Board will prove particularly useful in times
of epidemic when the children's wards of St. Mary Abbot's Hospital are full.
Medical Assistance.
For three months commencing 1st July, the Council retained the part time services of a local
medical practitioner who was interested in children's diseases, and who was prepared to make a
special study of zymotic enteritis. This doctor made periodical visits to the various Infant
Welfare Centres at specified times in the mornings when he was consulted in reference to difficult
cases. He also saw cases which were not attended by other doctors.
The part time Medical Officer drew up for routine use a scheme of treatment which included
intestinal lavage.