View report page

5.
and with the Women's Voluntary Service for domestic help and shopping.
All medical practitioners in the area were notified of the facilities which
had been arranged.
The type of the disease, while giving rise to a serious degree of
prostration was not of long duration nor was pneumonia, which is the most
common sequel of influenza, unduly prevalent.
scabies and verminous conditions
The campaign against these conditions was continued energetically
during the year.
It was not found necessary to invoice the provisions of the Scabies
Order, willing co-operation "being obtained in the majority of cases, but in a
certain number there was reluctance on the part of other members of the family
to submit themselves to examination. It was found, however, that a follow-up
letter calling attention to the family nature of these conditions and to the
provisions of the Order was sufficient to ensure attendance.
As in the previous year the cleansing was carried out in the Health
Centres mainly by the Civil Defence personnel to whom I am indebted for this
and their co-operation in the health services generally.
In the campaign against these conditions and for the information of
members of the local medical profession, a film dealing with the diagnosis and
treatment of scabies was shown at Brent Modern School, Ministry of Health
Circular 2831 contained recommendations for dealing with head lice and suggested
that Health Visitors should pay special attention to the subject not only at the
Clinics but during their visits to the homes, and also that suitable combs should
be provided for sale or on loan. The circular also advocated the use of "lethane"
as an effective method of vermin destruction.
Instructions were given to the Health Visitors along these lines but
the majority of the recommendations contained in the Circular had, as a result of
experience, been in operation in this district for some time.