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from venereal disease, and approved practitioners may obtain from hospitals, at the
cost of the Council, salvarsan or its substitutes. The cost of diagnosis and treatment
at hospitals and hostels is borne as to 75 per cent. by the Ministry of Health
and as to the remaining 25 per cent. by the Council and the participating
authorities according to the user of the facilities available. Details of cases
treated in 1928 and preceding years are given in Chapter I, pp. 38-39.
The scheme provides in general terms for lectures and addresses to selected
audiences, and for the publication and dissemination of information. The British
Social Hygiene Council exercises on behalf of the Council certain of its powers relating
to propaganda work.
The Council has decided as an experiment for one year from 1st April, 1928,
to make grants to approved rescue and preventive homes for the reception of women
and girls suffering from venereal diseases under conditions providing that they shall
be in possession of a certificate to be given by the medical officer of the treatment
centre attended that, although still in need of treatment, they can safely be allowed
to mix with others in the homes.
Osteomyelitis,
etc.
The Council has accepted an offer of the Metropolitan Asylums Board to permit
the use of certain vacant accommodation at Queen Mary's Hospital, Carshalton,
for London children suffering from osteomyelitis or congenital malformations
requiring surgical treatment. The procedure for selecting and dealing with such cases
will follow generally that laid down as regards children suffering from poliomyelitis.
The Invalid Children's Aid Association will assess and collect contributions
towards cost of treatment, which will be remitted to the Metropolitan Asylums
Board without deduction.
Health
propaganda.
Applications were received from certain metropolitan borough councils for
contributions, under the powers which the Council obtained in 1926, towards expenditure
on health propaganda, but the Council decided for the present not to make
any financial contribution towards such expenditure but to continue the practice
under which the county medical officer renders such assistance as is desired and is
possible, by way of information, lectures, etc., in connection with "Health Weeks"
and the like.
Paratyphoid
fever.
A serious outbreak of paratyphoid fever occurred in London and adjacent
districts during July, 1928. A full report on the outbreak was submitted by the
county medical officer, and copies of the report as a private and confidential document
were supplied in December, 1928, to the Minister of Health and local medical officers
of health concerned or interested.*
Vaccination
The Council decided not to support a proposal of the St. Albans City Council
that legislation should be promoted to provide for compulsory vaccination and
re-vaccination or the compulsory isolation of contacts and other persons suspected of
suffering from smallpox or other infectious disease.
Tuberculous
Milk.
Under the Milk and Dairies (Consolidation) Act, 1915, which came into operation
on 1st September, 1925, and superseded as from 1st September, 1926, Part IV.
of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1907, samples of milk coming
into London from places outside the county are taken and examined. Information
is sent immediately upon discovery of tubercle-infected samples of milk to
the medical officer of health for the county concerned, who is responsible for the
examination of the cows at the farm whence the sample emanated.
Under the altered arrangements visits by the veterinary inspector in the public
health department to the provinces to examine cows are unnecessary, and his work
is limited to that arising in connection with the inspection of cows in London cowsheds
and periodical visits to the Council's industrial schools and mental hospitals.
The performance of this work will occupy only about one-half of the time at present
given, and the Council has accordingly substituted for the position of full-time
* Outbreak of Paratyphoid Fever. No. 2643. Price ls.