View report page

— 16 —
three districts. The negotiations to bring this about were completed
during 1922, and the Hospital is now the joint property of
these three Authorities, and is managed by a Commitee composed
of members from each of the three Councils. The Medical
Officers of Health of the three districts act in the capacity of
consulting Medical Officers to the Hospital, and Dr. J. R. Prior,
the former Resident Medical Officer, has been appointed its
Medical Superintendent.
The diseases ordinarily admitted to the Isolation Hospital
are Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria. Occasionally a case of
Puerperal Fever, of Erysipelas, or of Enteric Fever is admitted.
Considering the mild nature of Scarlet Fever and its very low
rate of mortality, it may be considered more logical to keep cases
of this disease in their own homes and to send some other more
infectious and more deadly condition, such as Measles or Summer
Diarrhoea, into the Hospital instead of admitting Scarlet Fever.
Unfortunately there still exists in the public mind a great horror
of " fever," and a corresponding disregard for far more serious
diseases; and it is to be feared that the exclusion of Scarlet Fever
from the Hospital would not meet with the approval of the
public. In order to save lives and to improve the public health,
it may be necessary, in the future, when the people are more
enlightened, to make a change in the character of the cases now
sent into hospital.
During the year under review there were admitted to the
Hospital from the Borough of Hornsey 223 cases of Scarlet
Fever, 106 cases of Diphtheria, 2 cases of Erysipelas, 1 case of
Enteric Fever, 1 case of Measles, 1 case of Whooping Cough
and 1 case of Meningitis.
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
(See Tables G., H. and J.).
On no branch of Preventive Medicine can money and energy
be better spent than upon Maternity and Child Welfare Work.
If an infant can be given a good start in life and escape the
dangers that so easily beset it during the first few years of existence,
a healthy constitution is established which will enable the
child to grow and prosper into a healthy adult and a useful
member of society.