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In cases of puerperal fever, should there be a doctor attending he
is immediately communicated with by letter asking him to warn all
persons in attendance upon the patient that they must not go near nor
attend upon another lying-in case for some weeks to come and then only
after their clothes, etc., have been properly disinfected, and he is nformed
that disinfection is carried out free of charge upon application being made
to the Public Health Department; the midwife, should there be one
and all other persons in attendance upon the patient, are also communicated
with by letter in which the above warning and information are embodied;
the London County Council are also informed of the case; and the
premises and clothes of the patient are disinfected in due course.
Deaths.
Five patients died—none Poplar, three Bromley, and two Bow.
small-pox.
A case of small pox (a male, aged 16 years, of Abbott Road, Bromley)
was notified and removed to South Wharf, Rotherhithe, on 9th March, but
was returned home and certified on that date to be not suffering from
the complaint or any other notifiable disease. It was reported that the
patient was to be admitted subsequently into the London Hospital for
special treatment of a serious ailment of the heart, and the Secretary was
duly informed of the circumstances by letter dated 27th March.
The Public Health and Housing Committee considered a reference to
them from the Council to report on the subject of the Isolation of Small
Pox Contacts, especially in relation to a case of Small Pox which occurred
in the Borough. A report was presented as follows :—
"As directed by the Public Health and Housing Committee a full
report is here presented respecting the case of Small Pox which recently
occurred within the Borough, and also, as requested, the Medical Officer
of Health reports upon the isolation and maintenance of contacts.
"On 1st May, 1913, by telephonic message from a medical practitioner
the Medical Officer of Health was requested to see a patient in Naval
Row. The request was immediately complied with. The patient, a
female, aged 34 years, was suffering from Small Pox, and stated she had
never been vaccinated, was of no occupation, and had been living apart
from her husband. She had been residing in Poplar since 12th April and
previous to that date had been resident in the Borough of Shoreditch.
She fell ill on the 26th of April, the rash appeared on the 29th. The
patient was removed, as soon as possible—on the 1st of May—by the
Metropolitan Asylums Board to the Board's Small Pox Hospital.