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539
The arrangements made in 1919 for providing the services of a
visiting nurse in connection with cases of Measles, Whooping Cough,
Summer Diarrhoea and Ophthalmia, occurring amongst infants
and young children, proved very useful during the year. It is,
however, certain that during a severe epidemic of Measles or
Whooping Cough the arrangement with a nurse who is already
undertaking other nursing duties will not suffice, and the Ranyard
Nurses Mission have undertaken on these occasions, if and when so
ordered by the Borough Council, to provide temporarily an
additional nurse at the low cost of two guineas per week.
THE SHELTER.
The Shelter is a provision which enables those who are in
occupation of one or two rooms only to obtain temporary accommodation
while those rooms are being disinfected after the occurrence
of infectious disease in one or more members of the family; it also
serves for the temporary isolation of an occasional individual who
has come in contact with dangerous infectious disease and who is
very likely to spread infection if he develops the disease.
The Shelter provision in Stoke Newington had been lor many
years of a very unsatisfactory nature, and, having regard to the
grave risks from Smail-pox during 1923 the Council recognised
that better arrangements had become urgently necessary.
Accordingly two small shelter flats were provided in a sufficiently
isolated position, and these now constitute quite a model provision
of its kind for a small population.
It is regrettable that there is a very general public prejudice
against entering such shelters, except in the circumstance of a grave
epidemic. There are many cases each year in which it would be
our duty to advise action to compel the use of the Shelter if we
possessed the necessary legal powers.
THE DISINFECTING AND CLEANSING STATION.
During the year ending December 31, 1924, the following
disinfecting and cleansing work was performed at the station:—
Total number of textile articles disinfected 14,307
Total number of books from Public Library disinfected 59