View report page

70
Under the Anti-toxin Order, 1910, the Council are empowered to supply diphtheria antitoxin
for administration to patients who are too poor to pay, and on signing the necessary
declaration that the patient cannot afford specific treatment, a medical man can obtain a free
supply from Mr. Evans, Chemist, at No. 138, Ladbroke Grove, W.ll, Mr. W. Reeves, Chemist,
at No. 81, Cornwall Road, W.ll, or from the Public Health Department at the Town Hall. The
anti-toxin is obtainable at all hours of the day and night from Mr. Evans' and Mr. Reeves'
premises, and during office hours from the Town Hall. When the Town Hall is closed, applications
for anti-toxin can be made to Mr. Britton, an officer of the Department, who lives at No. 1,
Hornton Place, Hornton Street (only a few yards from the Town Hall).
The Council loan syringes with portable sterilizers to doctors for the purpose of administering
the anti-toxin. Medical men administering the Council's anti-toxin to poor persons are, on
application to the Medical Officer of Health, paid a fee of 5s. per patient treated.
In 1930, the Borough Council supplied 219,000 units of anti-toxin for 37 patients at a cost
of £15 10s. 0d.
In 1922, the Borough Council undertook to supply toxin-antitoxin for the Schick test and immunisation
to any medical practitioner in the borough who may be co-operating with the Medical
Officer of Health in an attempt to limit the spread of diphtheria in any institution, provided that
the consent of the authorities of the institution and of the parents or guardians of the children
concerned be obtained.
During 1930, the medical officer of one institution availed himself of the facilities provided by
the Council, and the total cost of carrying out the test and immunisation at this institution was
£1 12s. 1d.
Enteric Fever.—Thirty-two cases of this disease were notified, twenty-three being removed to
hospital and one to a nursing home. The cases notified in the three preceding years were 17, 80
and 17. There was one death from this disease against 0, 1 and 0 in the preceding years.
Two of the notified cases were afterwards certified not to be suffering from enteric fever or
any other notifiable disease. Of the remaining thirty cases twenty-three were notified from
the southern division of the borough and seven came from North Kensington. This heavier incidence
in South Kensington is not usual with other infectious diseases, and it is probably accounted for
by the facts that the water supply and sanitary arrangements in London generally are very good
and that a large number of persons contracting typhoid fever are infected outside the Metropolis.
It will be admitted that the residents in the southern portion of the borough leave the London
area more frequently than those in the north and, consequently, are more exposed to infection
by reason of the fact that many districts outside London do not enjoy the same sanitary efficiency.
In seven cases there was evidence that the disease had been contracted abroad ; nine patients
had paid visits to the country a short time before the date of attack ; two had contracted the disease
aboard a ship whilst on a voyage to England ; but the remaining twelve had not been out of London
for some time prior to their illness.
Erysipelas.—Sixty-eight cases were notified during the year, 46 of which were removed to
hospital. There were 4 deaths from this cause, the deaths in the three preceding years being
4, 4 and 2.