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24
WATER
Section 95, Public Health (London) Act, 1936
The number of new dwellings for which applications were
received for certificates that a proper and sufficient supply of
water had been installed was 233 (317). Borough Council 78,
others 155.
The water supply for the area is provided almost entirely by
the Metropolitan Water Board, but there are a few deep wells of
which some supply water for purposes other than human consumption,
while in a few cases the supply is used for potable purposes
both for drinking on the premises as well as for the manufacture
of beverages and for similar trade purposes. In these latter
cases a comprehensive examination of the supply both bacteriological
as well as chemical is made every three months at least,
which is deemed sufficient for ample warning of any serious
changes to be observed before there is danger to health.
PREVALENCE OF AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS
AND OTHER DISEASES
The mortality from infectious disease was again almost negligible
scarlet fever 0, diptheria 0, measles 0, and whooping cough 0.
Although immunisation against whooping cough is by no means
certain, even with the best prophylactics now in use, because it
is at present a more dangerous disease than diptheria it is no
doubt expedient to satisfy the demand for immunisation against
both diseases. If not there is a possibility that immunisation
against diptheria may be less diligently sought.
Poliomyelitis
Although 19 notifications were received only 18 were confirmed
cases of poliomyelitis, the rate per 1,000 population being 0.08.
Five of them were non-paralytic and there were three deaths. In
no instance was it possible to trace any contact with another
case
Puerperal pyrexia
The number of cases increased to 73 from 51 last year. This
increase has no significance at all being due to an alteration
of the definition. The rise in temperature may be due to so
many causes more often not connected with child birth, while the
antibiotic and other remedies have eliminated almost entirely
any fear of danger to life from the puerperal septicaemias which
used to be the constant dread of those responsible for maternity
and lying in homes and hospitals. The need for notification is
now not so apparent as it was before the last war.