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The St. Margaret's Day Nursery, which was evacuated on the outbreak
of war, remained at' Horsham throughout 1942, and was used, in common
with other evacuated nurseries, for evacuees selected by a central committee.
The Council continued its financial grant.
War-time Nurseries.—Three war-time Day Nurseries were opened
during the year. One, in the premises formerly occupied by the St. Margaret's
Day Nursery, in January, and two others, at Sisters Avenue and
Nightingale Lane, respectively, in July. These three Nurseries together
have accommodation for 135 children, and the total attendances for the
year were 18,915.
Child Life Protection.—44 foster-mothers were still on the register
at the end of 1942, but only 29 of these had nurse-children (to the number
of 31) in their care. The health visitors paid 330 visits to foster-mothers.
Infectious Diseases.
The incidence of infectious disease was higher than in 1941, this being
almost entirely as a result of an increase in measles and whooping cough.
The following table shows the number of cases notified :—
Diphtheria 65 (145) Dysentery 7 (8)
Erysipelas 60 (52) Pneumonia (acute
Scarlet Fever125 (157) primary) 156 (178)
Enteric fever — (3) Pneumonia (acute
Puerperal fever 5 (6) influenzal) 8 (38)
Puerperal pyrexia 12 (16) Whooping Cough 526 (464)
Meningococcal meningitis 15 (15) Measles 1405 (757)
Ophthalmia neonatorum 20 (18) Tuberculosis (all forms) 204 (194)
Polio-myelitis, etc. 1(6)
Encephalitis lethargica 1 (—) 2611 (2058)
Malaria 1 (1)
[For the purposes of comparison, the average number of cases notified
annually in the five years, 1937-41, is inserted in brackets.]
Schick Clinic.—The diphtheria immunisation clinic was continued
throughout the year. The arrangement with the London County Council,
whereby children who had been inoculated by the School Medical Officer,
attended for testing as to immunity, continued in force during the year.
The clinic was attended by 2,645 patients (1,685 new and 638 who had been
inoculated by school medical officers). Five were found to be immune on
primary test, and 1,405 on test after inoculation.
In accordance with the Minister of Health's circular No. 2713, a
special campaign, aiming at securing the immunising of all children between
the age of 1 and 5 was inaugurated. It was arranged for the Health
Visitors- to make home visits of all children under 5, to ascertain if
immunisation had already been carried out, and, if not, to encourage the
parents to take the children to the Schick Clinic. The campaign was not
completed by the end of the year.
Tuberculosis.—Beside 204 cases notified, there were otherwise reported
22, making a total of 226 new cases.
The Dispensary was carried on throughout the year as in normal
times.