View report page

26
One side of the cradle has been made to drop down by working
upon a hinge, so that the risk of tearing heavy beds whilst lifting them
in and out of the cradle is lessened.
The seats of the disinfecting vans are now being altered in order
to give some protection to the men from wind and weather. The
inside of the van for infected articles is being lined with zinc.
The 40 per cent, solution of formic aldehyde gas (six ounces in one
gallon of water) is now used throughout the Poplar and Bromley
parishes for disinfecting rooms by spraying over the floors, walls and
ceilings. The burning of sulphur for disinfecting purposes has ceased.
SMALL POX.
Two cases of small pox were notified in the Isle of Dogs and two
cases were reported in Bromley. At the request of the medical
practitioner I examined the children, and, with great deference to the
opinions of two medical practitioners, I considered that the two
children were not suffering from small pox, but from a bad attack of
chicken pox. With respect to the Bromley patients, the children
were very ill, and from the appearance of a rash then out upon their
bodies they were removed as suspicious cases to the South Wharf tor
isolation purposes and detained for five days, the cases eventually
developing to scarlet fever.
The clerk of the Metropolitan Asylum's Board was communicated
with in order to know if, with suspicious cases of small pox, the
South Wharf is available for isolation purposes without notifying
cases as small pox. The answer received was " that suspected cases
of small pox cannot be isolated at South Wharf unless they are
notified as small pox."
Mr. Hitchins, the vaccination officer, has kindly furnished me
with the following statistics, which are copied from those forwarded
to the Local Government Board:—