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44
In July, August and September, special and frequent visits were paid to those
living in streets and houses where epidemic diarrhoea seemed most likely to occur.
The symptoms, the spread, the prevention and the necessity for the prompt
treatment of this disease were pointed out, and the special leaflet on the subject given
to each mother.
Although the realisation of danger and the knowledge of treatment is greater and
more widespread than formerly, there is still much room for education in the prevention
of this disease, judging from the number of homes where uncovered food is
left about, lids left off from dustbins and refuse thrown carelessly about instead of being
put carefully into the dustbin or burnt.
Disinfectant fluid was supplied from the Council's Centre for the use of mothers
whose infants were suffering from diarrhœa.
The need for cleansing the streets by flushing was recognised, and was carried
out as far as the diminished water supply would permit.
The hot rainless third quarter of the year was fortunately not associated with the
devastating attacks of summer diarrhoea that might have been anticipated in the
light of the experience of the summers of 1899 and 1911. At the English Speaking
Conference on Infant Welfare held in July last, it was suggested that the number of
infantile diarrhoeal deaths in the year 1921 would serve as a measure of the value
of the increased supervision of infants instituted during the last decade. Fortunately
judged by this severe standard the work has been abundantly justified. The death
rate from diarrhoeal diseases has remained consistently low during the last five years
of varying meteorology; this year the records available at present show that, in
London at least, although the weekly number of deaths has been considerably above
the average of the last five years, nothing like the loss of life which occurred in 1911
has taken place. In 1911, during the weeks ending July 1st to September 23rd, 4,097
deaths from diarrhoea and enteritis under two years occurred—in 1921 for the same
period the number of deaths was 1,173.
Poliomyelitis.
No case of poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis) was notified.
Nursing Arrangements.
Nursing arrangements have been made with the Metropolitan Nursing Association,
No. 23, Bloomsbury Square, for the nursing, when required, of necessitous cases
of measles, whooping cough, ophthalmia neonatorum, diarrhoea and pneumonia.