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premises. Of tho children sent to hospital, 29 were from the War
Refugee Home in Poland Street.
Arrangements have been made with the three Nursing Associations
serving Westminster to attend cases of measles and ophthalmia when
called upon.
There is much scope for preventive treatment, and the experiments
which have been made in this direction in the Army in dealing with
persons exposed to infection of cerebro-spinal meningitis, leads one to
hope that the application of disinfectants in spray or gaseous form to
the throat and nose may be effective in preventing the development of
measles, diphtheria, whooping cough and septic conditions of the throat.
Whooping cough caused 5 deaths ; 85 visits were paid to children by
the Health Visitors.
Ophthalmia in newly-born infants.—In addition to the 29 notified
cases, 4 other cases were discovered, and 17 cases of slight inflammation
were also reported by the Health Visitors. With two exceptions, recovery
took place without injury to vision. One illegitimate infant, not notified,
lost sight of both eyes. Three of the children died, one from pneumonia,
the other two did not thrive. Syphilis existed in two instances; in
three the gonoeoecus was isolated from the discharge from the eye.
Enteritis was given as the cause of death in 21 instances, 18 being
due to chronic forms of bowel complaint.
Tuberculosis.—In 1917, 396 new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis
were notified, and 35 died who had not been notified in Westminster,
a total of 431. The totals in the preceding six years, 1911-16, were:
423, 512, 475, 390, 317, 391. Tuberculosis cases among persons living
in common lodging-houses and homeless persons have steadily declined,
and were half what they were five years ago, but among the general
public, in 1916 and 1917, there was an increase, both of males and females
—males, in the four years, 1914-17 were 186, 155, 1S3, and 209; females
were 105, 95, 135 and 164.
The increase among males was 6 between the ages of 1 and 10 years,
5 between 15 and 20 years, 5 between 20 and 25, and 15 between 35 and 45.
At other age periods there was a decrease.
Among females there was an increase in each age group from 5 to
45 years, being specially marked between 20 and 45.
To some extent the rise among the males was due to the cnlling-up
of aliens for Army service, a number of whom were found suffering from
chronic tuberculosis which had not been notified previously in