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48
CHICKEN-POX.
As mentioned above, this disease was made notifiable for three months, on
and from the 22nd March, 1911. The results of the notifications will appear
in next year's report.
CEREBRO-SPINAL FEVER.
Cerebro-spinal Fever (Epidemic Cerebro-spinal Meningitis) was first made
a notifiable disease in 1907, and the Order came into effect on the Pith March
of that year, and the Order has been renewed from year to year since. The
term cerebro-spinal fever includes posterior basal meningitis, but not meningitis
due to tuberculosis, syphilis, middle-ear disease, or injury. The services of
Dr. Wanklyn, Assistant Medical Officer of Health, Public Health Department,
London County Council, 8, St. Martin's Place, W.C., are available for the
investigation of cases in association with medical practitioners, should they so
desire.
PLAGUE.
In November the Local Government Board issued a Memorandum and an
Order in regard to the Prevention of Plague and the destruction of rats.
The Order provides that in any district in which a representation is made to
the Local Authority that rats in the district are infected or threatened with
Plague, or that there is an unusual mortality among rats in the district, the
Local Authority shall report the matter to the Local Government Board, and
shall take measures for the destruction of all rats in their district, and, further,
prevent the entrance of rats into buildings and other premises in the district.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM.
The London County Council made an Order for the notification of Ophthalmia
Neonatorum on the 8th November, 1910. This Order was approved by the
Local Government Board, and the disease became notifiable from the 13th
March, 1911.
So far as the practice of certified midwives is concerned, there is already
in existence a method of notification provided by one of the rules of the
Central Midwives Board, which requires that every certified midwife shall
advise the parents that medical assistance should be obtained in every case
of inflammation of the eyes of the infant, however slight. This advice must
be given in writing in a prescribed form, and a copy must be sent to the
local supervising authority (in London, the County Council) within twentyfour
hours. Notification will not only bring information to the Sanitary
Authority of cases which at present are not notified to anyone, but it will
also render more complete the provisions for securing continuous and efficient
treatment of the child, who may be at present notified under the rule above
mentioned.
TYPHOID FEVER.
A report, by Dr. Hamer, on certain localised prevalences of typhoid fever
in London in 1910 was presented to the London County Council on 7th March,
1911. The report points out that in 1900 three localised prevalences of
typhoid fever occurred, and one of these prevalences (in Southwark), involving
some 120 cases of typhoid fever, was on a sufficiently large scale to allow
statistical inferences to be drawn. Dr. Hamer was able to adduce evidence in
favour of the view that the Southwark prevail nee was due to consumption of
infected fish, and he raised the question whether the other two prevalences (in