View report page

56
that hospitals can take less than 75 per cent. of the cases referred
for admission. There was no restriction of admissions since
19th February, when the "White Warning" was issued.
An influenza vaccine has been distributed for the inoculation
of American troops in Europe; and we now await result of the
influenza vaccine trial organised by the Ministry of Health and the
Medical Research Council
On page 58 I submit a graph showing the variation in the
weekly Claims for Sickness Benefit received by the Leytonstone
Branch of the Ministry of National Insurance from the beginning
of December.
The graph shows very clearly the sudden increase in claims
(747) during the week ended 16th December (i.e. the week following
the fog); the sudden fall in the number of claims (290) during
the week ended 30th December (i.e. Christmas week); the steady
and progressive rise until 3rd February (1,274); and the rapid fall
since that time.
Tempest and Flood.
On the night of Saturday, 31st January the combination of a
very severe gale with an unusually high tide produced one of the
worst floods ever experienced in this country. The East Coast of
England, from Yorkshire to Kent, was struck with a force considered
to be without parallel since the beginning of the eighteenth
century. Over 250 people lost their lives, many more were injured
and incapacitated, and tens of thousands were rendered homeless.
Sewage works were flooded and rendered useless; water supplies
were contaminated. The disaster put a great strain on the health
and welfare services of the local authorities, who dealt effectively
with the many problems of health, welfare, sanitation, injury, illness
and homelessness.
From a purely public health point of view the most serious
problems were connected with sewage and water supply. For
instance, at Tilbury the main sewage works were put out of action,
and at Grays the main sewer burst—with the result that the flood
waters became contaminated. Fortunately the water-supply to
that area was all from mains under pressure.
The great problem has been one of welfare—the care of the
homeless. Fortunately there has been no outbreak of enteric fever,
but the possibility of odd cases of sewage-borne infection cannot be
excluded in the affected areas.