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56
SECTION 6.
PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER, INFECTIOUS
DISEASES.
Notifications under the Provisions of the Public
Health (London) Act, 1891. — During the year 2,387 cases
have been notified under the above Act. The following table
shows the comparison since 1924 : —
No. Year.
3,516 1924
3,555 1925
2,869 1926
2,098 1927
4,832 1928
2,387 1929
Smallpox.—One case of this disease was notified during
the year. This case, a girl aged 17 years, actually occurred in
Shoreditch, being discovered working in a Factory, and was
removed direct to Hospital from that Borough.
Another case was admitted to the Seamen's Hospital from
Stepney shortly after arrival in England from India.
All necessary precautions were taken at the Hospital,
contacts examined and kept under the surveillance of the Department.
Thorough disinfection was carried out by the Council's
Staff and all bedding removed to the Disinfection Station for
subsequent treatment.
During the year 393 persons residing in the Borough were
reported as probable or possible contacts with cases of Smallpox
occurring outside the Borough. In every instance they were kept
under observation for the extreme period of incubation.
Details respecting vaccination in the Borough are given
in the Supplemental Vaccination Reports on page 65.
Diphtheria .— Three hundred and fifty-six cases of
Diphtheria were notified during the year, as compared with 434,
503, 448 and 464 respectively in the years 1925, 1926, 1927
and 1928. The distribution of these cases was as follows:—115
in East Greenwich, 88 in West Greenwich, 27 in St. Nicholas,
109 in Charlton, and 17 in Kidbrooke.
Of this number, 351 were removed to the Hospital for
treatment, but 26 of these cases were reported by the Hospital
Authorities as not suffering from the disease.