London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Romford 1913

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Romford RDC]

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33
mitigate this occurrence, which, from personal investigation, I have been
able to satisfy myself is unconsciously caused by the ignorance of the
parents of their children's condition.
12.—Method of dealing with infectious diseases; notification;
isolation hospital accommodation; disinfection.
Infectious diseases, with the exception of whooping cough, are
notifiable. Measles has been during the past two years notifiable.
Cerebro-spinal meningitis and poliomyelitis have also been made notifiable.
The hospital accommodation (Romford Joint Urban and Rural)
is very good and well regarded by the people, there being little difficulty
in persuading parents to avail themselves of its treatment, and I am
quite sure that not only are lives saved by the superior nursing, etc.,
cases receive to what many would receive in their own homes, but infectious
disease is undoubtedly checked, it being very rare for a second
case to occur in a family where the first case has been promptly removed.
The Council requires me to visit all cases notified for removal, in order
to confirm the diagnosis before admission to the hospital, and this is
done with few exceptions and when the case is represented (by wire or
telephone) as being urgent and admitting no delay. The hospital contains
42 beds, and is available for the following diseases:—Scarlet fever,
diphtheria, and enteric fever. Arrangements are made with the West
Ham Corporation for the admission of cases of small-pox (should such
occur). The practice of disinfection is as fallows:—When a case is removed
to hospital, the room, bedding, etc., is promptly disinfected by
the Sanitary Inspector; when a case is isolated at home, the bedding,
clothing, etc., such as cannot be washed at home, is sent, at the Council's
expense, to the hospital disinfector, in a special vehicle kept for
that purpose, and is returned to the home by the same means, after disinfection.
13.—Method of control of Tuberculosis, etc.
Cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis, as notified to me, are visited
either by myself or the Sanitary Inspector, and the various items of information
specified entered in my "Tuberculosis Journal." The requisite
advice as to the management of the patient (except in the case of
persons in a superior position to the artizan class) is given and a
pamphlet of instructions left with the patient. Any insanitary condition
of house and premises is rectified by direction of the Sanitary Inspector.
The rooms occupied by the case are disinfected after the termination of
the case or its removal elsewhere.