View report page

30
WIDAL.
I examined five samples of blood in cases of suspected
Enteric Fever, one of which gave a positive result, one a doubtful,
and three were negative.
Water.
Six samples of water were submitted to me for examination.
Three were found to be unfit for drinking purposes, and a supply
taken from the main was substituted in each case.
PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER ACUTE
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
Although we have happily experienced such a large decrease
in the number of notifications of acute infectious diseases during
the last few years, we have in no way weakened the completeness
of the administrative action which we have heretofore adopted to
gain information as to the source and method of spread of infection,
and to restrain its spread.
When a case of infectious disease is notified, the house is at
once visited, full inquiries made, and all necessary steps are taken
to secure the isolation of the patient either by immediate removal
to Hospital or otherwise; disinfectants are supplied, and the
necessary examination and disinfection of premises carried out.
All contacts are kept under observation, children excluded from
school, and any other precautions which may in my opinion be
necessary are adopted.
Notifications are usually left by hand or come by post to the
offices, and in many instances the Medical man in attendancetelephones
immediately on becoming aware that he has an infectious
case to deal with.
The following special arrangements have also been made to
remove and deal with cases notified out of Office hours:—An
Inspector attends (when the Office is closed) on Saturday at 3.30
p.m., and on Sundays and Holidays at 9.30 a.m. and 3.30 p.m.,
and in the intervals notifications may be left with the Caretaker of
the Public Offices. In addition to this I am not infrequently rung
up on the telephone at my private house, sometimes as late as
11.30 p.m., by some Medical man with an urgent entreaty to
remove a case at once, and I am happy to be able to say lhat on
every occasion we have complied with his wishes, even on one
particular occasion when a call was received at 1 a.m., and
promptly responded to.