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43
miscellaneous infectious diseases (i.e., excluding those set out in the table above
and scarlet fever, diphtheria, whooping-cough, measles and enteric fevers), viz.:—
1938 9,459
1937 10,951
1936 6,982
1935 6,404
1934 6,430
The measles epidemic reached its peak (albeit the lowest recorded for measles
in recent years) on 29th March. The steps set out in the report for 1937 which were
taken in anticipation of difficulties arising from the epidemic were, nevertheless,
found to have been justified. The arrangement whereby certain patients were
admitted only on the application of borough medical officers of health was discontinued
on 15th May, as by that date the pressure on accommodation had declined.
Joyce Green Hospital (normally in reserve) was opened on 16th February and
closed on 11th July. The Lower Southern Hospital was closed for infectious patients
on 14th May, and reverted to its use for non-infectious convalescent patients.
During the year there has been available at each of the central acute infectious
hospitals a mechanical respirator, and as a result of the prevalence of poliomyelitis
these were fully used.
Measles and
whoopingcough
:
notification
In view of the seriousness of measles and whooping-cough as epidemic diseases
of children and of the great importance of the availability of early information
regarding the incidence of these diseases if measures for the control of the spread
of infection and the proper treatment of the patients are to be fully effective, the
Council asked the Minister of Health to make regulations to require the notification
to metropolitan borough medical officers of health of cases of measles (other than
German measles) and whooping-cough in the administrative County of London,
except (i) cases occurring in an establishment after a case of the same disease had
occurred there within the preceding period of two months and been notified ; and
(ii) cases which were being treated in a fever hospital; and to include in such regulations
provisions under which the borough medical officer of health is required to
send copies of the notifications to the Council, to the head teacher of the patient's
school (if a child) and to the head teacher of any school attended by any child who
is an inmate of the same house as the patient. The Minister made regulations
accordingly and they came into operation on 1st October, 1938.
(B) Smallpox hospitals
The immunity from smallpox which London has enjoyed since 1934 has
continued.
Children's hospitals
Infantile
paralysis and
cerebral
diplegia
The investigation, at Queen Mary's Hospital for Children, of the system of
treating poliomyelitis practised by Miss Kenny in Australia, to which reference was
made in the Annual Report for 1937 (Vol. IV, Part I, p. 41), came to an end in July,
and later in the year a report by an advisory committee who had been appointed
to watch the experiment was published in extenso in the medical journals. The
unit is being retained, but only certain of the methods are being continued in use,
viz., those recommended by the advisory committee, who are continuing their
observation of the unit.
Convalescence
of children
Negotiations for the acquisition of land adjoining the site of Millfield Convalescent
Hospital, Rustington, to enable that establishment to be enlarged from
98 to about 500 beds, were successfully concluded.
Dietaries of
patients
The results obtained since the introduction of the special ketogenic dietary
at White Oak Hospital to which reference was made in the Annual Report for 1937
(Vol. IV, Part I, p. 42) indicated the desirability of the continuance of this dietary
for a further year and this has been agreed to.
Squint
During the year a new department has been opened at White Oak Hospital
for the admission of children with squint showing amblyopia in one eye.