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The Council approves dental treatment where necessary for tuberculous patients
attending tuberculosis dispensaries where borough councils have included this as
part of their tuberculosis dispensary service.
The Council's scheme for the diagnosis and treatment of venereal diseases in
the county provides for the participation of certain authorities near London in the
facilities afforded by selected hospitals for the purpose. Under the Local Government
Act, 1929, the Council will make its contributions direct to hospitals, etc., working
under its scheme out of the block grant to be paid to the Council by the Exchequer
to cover all health services generally. The arrangements for 1929 provided for free
treatment and diagnosis for in-patients and out-patients at 23 hospitals and for the
reception of patients for treatment at seven hostels. All-day clinics have been
established at six of the hospitals. Practitioners secure, at the cost of the Council,
scientific reports for diagnosis purposes on materials obtained from patients suspected
to be suffering 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 1929 and preceding years are given in Chapter I., pp. 30-32.
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 decided to continue as an experiment for a further year from 1st
April, 1929, to make grants to approved rescue and preventive homes for the reception
of women and girls suSering 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.
The Council accepted an offer of the Metropolitan Asylums Board to set apart
two blocks at its Northern Hospital for the reception of 50 adult patients of both
sexes suffering from encephalitis lethargica. The procedure for the payment of
contributions towards the cost of treatment will follow that laid down for the
residential treatment of tuberculosis.
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 the Council substituted for the position of fulltime
veterinary inspector one of half-time temporary veterinary inspector, subject
to periodical review. The question of the continuance of the employment of this
officer will come under review in August, 1930, when he will attain the normal retiring
age.
Particulars of the examination of samples of milk consigned to London and
of samples of milk taken at the Council's mental hospitals during 1929 are given
in Chapter I. (pp. 28-29). Particulars of inspections of the cows in London cowsheds,
and examination of samples of their milk are also given.
Part I of the Children Act, 1908, requires 48 hours' notice to be given of the
reception for hire or reward of a nurse-infant under the age of seven years, and 1
empowers the local authority (in London the Council) to fix the number of infants
which may be kept in any dwelling. At the end of 1929, 2,879 nurse-infants and
17710 l
Venereal
disease.
Encephalitis
lethargica.
Tuberculous
milk.
Infant life
protection.