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Method of dealing with Infectious Diseases, &c.
Cases of notifiable disease desired to be removed are visited
by me (by instruction of the Council) prior to removal. There
is accommodation for 40 patients in the Isolation Hospital
(Romford Joint Urban and Rural), situated about a mile from
)the town, and in the rural district. The Hospital is very
popular, and there is usually little difficulty in persuading parents
to have cases removed. The practice of disinfection is as
follows:—Where a case is kept at home, the rooms, &c., are
disinfected by the Sanitary Inspector by Formalin, and the
bedding, clothing, &c., is removed in the Hospital special van
for disinfection in the Hospital disinfector, being returned home
afterwards by the van. In cases promptly removed to the
Hospital it is considered sufficient to disinfect the bedding, &c.,
in the patient's house. There has been no further outbreak
in such instances from this plan.
Method of control of Tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis, now being a notifiable disease, cases are
notified to. me as they occur, and particulars, &c., entered in
my Tuberculosis Journal. These are visited. The County
Council Tuberculosis Committee having arranged with the
Romford Joint Hospital Board for the erection of a Pavilion
for the treatment of cases of Tuberculosis, this has been
done in the ground of the Isolation Hospital, where there is
ample room for such a building at a safe distance from the
infectious wards. Eight patients (4 male and 4 female) have
been accommodated here since May, 1913. The Council Committee
have now altered this arrangement so as to take in only
female patients, as it is found to be a better arrangement to
confine the various sanatoria in the county to one sex. The
Pavilion is doing good work. Patients are admitted not exclusively
from the Romford Urban and Rural Districts, but
are sent to the different Sanatoria in the county as vacancies
occur. In the case of domiciliary patients, these, when visited,
are informed that they can receive advice at the Tuberculosis
Dispensary. This Dispensary, established in the early part
of the year, is open twice weekly, and is worked by the
Tuberculosis Officer of this area. A leaflet of instruction is
left with the Patient when visited, and any insanitary condition
of the home, if existing, attended to by the Sanitary Inspector.
Provision is made for pauper cases in the Romford Union Infirmary
where they are treated, some in the general wards,
some in specially erected shelters.