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180
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1910.
Cerebrospinal
fever.
On 8th February, 1910, the Council made an order under section 56 of the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, extending for a further period of 12 months from 13th March, 1910, the notification
of all cases of cerebro-spinal fever (epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis) occurring within the county
of London. It has been arranged with the medical officers of health of the sanitary districts for
particulars of all cases of the disease notified in London to be furnished to the Council. This information
is communicated to every medical officer, who is thus at once put into possession of all available
information as to cases occuring in other districts, and facilities are afforded for observation in the
event of the disease showing any tendency to spread. The services of Dr. Wanklyn, the assistant
medical officer of health, are also available with a view to the investigation of cases in association
with medical practitioners in London, should they so desire. The number of cases notified up to 31st
December, 1909, was 318, and during the year ended 31st December, 1910, 108 additional cases were
notified, making a total of 426 cases since notification became compulsory in 1907.
Ophthalmia
neonatorum.
The Council is, by section 56 (6) of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, authorised to extend
by order to any infectious disease the provisions contained in section 55 of the Act. The section
contains a list of the infectious diseases made notifiable by the Act and prescribes the course to be
taken for notifying the occurrence of a case of one of these diseases to the medical officer of health
of the London sanitary area in which the case has occurred. It appeared desirable that steps should
be taken with a view to the more effectual prevention of blindness or impairment of vision caused by
the want of prompt and efficient medical treatment among newly-born infants, and that the provisions
of the section referred to above should be applied to all cases of ophthalmia neonatorum and thus render
it possible to make arrangements for securing continuous and efficient treatment of the child. The
Council accordingly made an order and fixed 13th March, 1911, as the date on which the order should
come into operation.
Phthisis.
The Committee considered it desirable the Council should have information as to the administrative
measures in force in the County of London for the control of phthisis, and with this view
instructed the medical officer to inquire and report what action was being taken in each of the districts
of London with regard to cases of phthisis coming to the knowledge of the sanitary authorities by
means of the voluntary notification of the disease. The medical officer prepared a report submitting
a report by Dr. Wanklyn as to the action taken by the London sanitary authorities in the matter.
The report showed to what extent such measures as voluntary notification, disinfection, the appointment
of health visitors, the co-operation of health societies, the circulation of pamphlets, etc., have
been adopted by the various sanitary authorities in the County of London, and is a useful record
of the work which is being done at the present time for the limitation of this disease. The report
was printed and placed on sale.
Census of
homeless
persons.
In 1904, 1905, 1907 and 1909 censuses were taken of homeless persons in the county of London
by the medical officer in order to ascertain the use made of common lodging-houses, and the provision
existing for the accommodation of persons of the poorest class. A further census was made on the
night of 18th February, 1910, and the medical officer submitted a report showing the number of
persons found homeless on that night in the streets, on staircases or under arches, the number and
sex of persons who might reasonably be regarded as homeless on the ground of not being able to pay
for a bed and the arrangements made for the shelter of persons of this description, and other information
bearing on the question. It is worthy of note that on the night of the census there was vacant
accommodation for 7,680 persons in common lodging-houses and for 685 persons in casual wards.
Following the practice adopted in previous years, the Committee gave instructions for the report to
be printed and placed on sale.
Transmigrants.
In April, 1910, the attention of the Committee was directed to the accommodation provided
for transmigrants during their stay in London. It appeared that as the result of the institution of an
especially cheap service by a shipping company a large number of intending emigrants to America
were brought from Rotterdam to London for re-shipment. Arrangements were made by the persons
who had undertaken this duty for finding accommodation for these transmigrants during their stay
in London in common lodging-houses and elsewhere, but great difficulty was experienced in doing this,
and also in making provision for feeding so large a number of persons. A number of emigrants in a
house in the Borough had nothing but bread and water from 3rd to 5th April. A fire which broke
out on the s.s. "Cairnrona," on which some 700 or 800 aliens had embarked, necessitated the return to
London of a large number. In the emergency the Council's inspectors made every effort to assist in
placing transmigrants in suitable houses. The Council has no responsibility in the matter of providing
accommodation, but had previously pointed out to the Home Secretary the objections to the course
which was formerly adopted by the shipping agents of accommodating the transmigrants in tenement
houses in Whitechapel. As a result of this representation it was arranged that these persons should be
received into certain common lodging-houses specially set aside for this purpose. This accommodation,
though sufficient for a small number, entirely failed in respect of the large number brought over in
the early part of the year and for whom practically no provision was made. The Council decided
to call the attention of the Secretary of State to the matter, as he had power under the Aliens Act
to require shipping companies to give security that transmigrants would be properly maintained and
controlled during their transit.
Milk.
During the year under review the Committee presented to the Council four reports showing
the progress made with the administration of Part IV. of the London County Council (General Powers)
Act, 1907. These reports showed that between the date of the coming into operation of the Act and
31st December, 1910, some 5,713 samples of milk had been taken, the examination of 4,938 of which