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SMALL-POX.
Happily again another year has passed without any case of
Small-pox arising. Information as to 24 contacts were received
from the following Port Authorities—London 21, Swansea 2,
Southampton 1. These were all supervised until the incubation
period had elapsed.
For fourteen years Leyton has made no provision for hospital
segregation and treatment of Small-pox cases. Previous to then
an arrangement existed with the Metropolitan Asylums Board, but
this was terminated by them on the grounds that should an
epidemic arise in which London and the contiguous authorities
were severally involved they might be hard pressed to accommodate
their own cases, and therefore did not feel justified in undertaking
the responsibilities properly belonging to other Authorities.
Before the Metropolitan Asylums Board arrangement came into
existence an agreement existed with the County Borough of West
Ham to take Leyton cases into their hospital at Dagenham. This
came to an end owing to the retaining fee charged being considered
by the Council as more than the circumstances warranted, and
also owing to a more favourable arrangement being made possible
by the attitude of the Metropolitan Asylums Board. The Medical
Officer of Health has persistently brought to the notice of the
Council the grave risk they are running in failing to provide
hospital accommodation for Small-pox, and from time to time