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134
In non-epidemic periods the visiting of those under five years
of age is carried out by the Health Visitors, and of those over
five years by the nurses of the Metropolitan District Nursing
Association.
The duties are to advise the mother as to the best way to deal
with the case, to arrange for extra nourishment when the family is
necessitous, to provide through the Metropolitan District Nursing
Association skilled nursing in the home where necessary, to secure
medical treatment where lacking, and to obtain early removal to
hospital of those cases where the child could not be suitably nursed
at home.
Nine hundred and thirty-one visits and re-visits were paid for
these purposes during 1938. Of the notified cases, 261 were removed
to hospital, the remainder being nursed at home.
Whooping Cough.
Whooping cough is a dangerous disease, especially in babies,
in whom it frequently causes broncho-pneumonia and death.
Children are often left with weak chests after this distressing
malady which is sometimes the forerunner of tuberculosis. This
disease was the cause of death of 7 children under five years of age
last year.
Since 28th May, 1934, whooping cough has been made compulsorily
notifiable in the Borough the Order made by the Council
has now been superseded by an Order made by the Ministry of
Health. 339 cases were notified in 1938 every case under five
years is visited by the Health Visitor and arrangements made for
hospital treatment if required.
Provision of Vaccine.— A vaccine supplied by Research
Products, Ltd., is given to the local practitioners on application for
the treatment of necessitous patients. Three doses are given to each
case according to the age of the child.
The vaccine was first tried out by the general practitioners in
the Borough, and the results were stated to be good.
Vaccine was supplied for eight cases last year.