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discussed this matter, and resolved "That the Vaccination Acts should
be administered by the Authorities that administer the Acts and provisions
for the prevention of the spread of infectious diseases." A
deputation from the Conference subsequently waited upon the Local
Government Board, the precursor of the present Ministry of Health.
In view of the occurrence of small-pox and the existence of chickenpox
in the Borough, and in view of the fact that the concurrence of these
diseases had already led to errors in diagnosis, the Council on 26th May,
as a matter of urgency, ordered in pursuance of Section 56, Sub-section
5, of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, that Section 55 of that Act,
with respect to the notification of infectious disease, should apply in the
Borough to chicken-pox, for a period of three months, and medical
practitioners were informed that the Medical Officer of Health would be
glad to see any doubtful case, if his opinion was desired.
It must always be remembered that small-pox is liable to be spread
by infection, not only from well-marked and easily recognised cases, but
also, as indeed frequently happens, from cases of which the nature is not
at first evident. Such attacks may be, on the one hand, mild and modified
cases, which may be mistaken for chicken-pox or other comparatively
slight disorder; or, on the other hand, they may be hæmorrhagic or
other malignant and rapidly fatal forms in which death may occur before
the characteristic rash has had time to develop itself.
The Order, making Chicken-pox compulsorily notifiable, came into
operation on 10th June, 1927, and remained in force until 9th September.
During this period 171 cases were notified.
At the time of the outbreak I drew the attention of the Council to
the absence of or defects in certain of our Public Health facilities, these
being neither adequate nor up to present day requirements; and pointed
out that when the recent cases of Small-pox occurred and it was desired
to burn the highly infected bedding, no proper facilities were available
and recourse had to be made to the primitive method of making a heap
of the infected articles on the land adjoining the disused electric light
station or in the base of the old electricity works chimney, pouring
paraffin over them, and setting the heap alight; that as regards the
washing of clothes from the infected houses, arrangements had to be
made for the disinfectors to call at regular intervals to collect washing,
which was disinfected before being sent to laundries, the Public Health
Department having no facility for washing infected articles. The
question of the provision of a Health Station which will embody these and
other facilities was still under consideration at the end of the year.