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SMALLPOX
The outbreak of Smallpox in this district originated
from an Officer patient admitted to Mount Vernon Hospital
on February 6th from the Middle East. By the 2nd March
seven contacts had developed the disease. By the 18th
March five more cases were reported in the London area.
3 deaths occurred. Altogether in the Ruislip-Northwood
district seven cases of Smallpox occurred. All these were
admitted to the London County Council Isolation Hospital
at Clandon.
Vaccination depots were set up at NorthWood First Aid
Post and Dawlish Drive Health Centre, as well as at the
Public Health Offices in Northwood. Vaccine from the
Government Lymph Establishment at Hendon was supplied to
all medical practitioners in the district on application.
The arrangements worked smoothly, there was no panic, and
our thanks are due to the residents of the district for
having kept their heads and sacrificed their limbs so
readily to the discomforts of vaccination. Thanks are
also due to the Public Vaccinator and the Medical Practitioners
for the valuable work they did at this time.
Contacts notified for supervision 63
Number of visits by Sanitary Inspectors 250
This necessitaged much hard work on the part of Sanitary
Inspectors and clerical staff, some of which was overtime,
for which I am sincerely grateful. Visits by myself were
undertaken as and when necessary. Four suspicious cases
were also visited at the request of the practitioners in the
district. One of these proved to be a case of Smallpox, and
was immediately admitted to the Isolation Hospital. Two of
the others were vaccinia rashes and the other a case of
Chicken-pox.
Two Medical Officers from the Ministry of Health and
one from the County Council supervised and co-operated with
myself in combatting the spread of the disease, and both
the Council and myself fully realise the invaluable
assistance which they gave at this time, which, without
doubt, was one of the main factors in stamping out the
epidemic.
The district was considered free of infection and out
of quarantine by the end of March.
Scabies.
Arrangements have been made with Mount Vernon Hospital
for the diagnosis and treatment of Scabies. Patients may
attend at 10 a.m. every Tuesday.
WATER SUPPLY
The whole of the district is supplied by the Colne
Velley Water Company, with the exception of the following:
Cottages in Field End Road, South Ruislip 4
Cottage, Rayson's Hill, Eastcote 1
5
In all cases where water mains have been damaged by enemy
action, water samples have been taken after the repair of
the main, and forwarded to the Public Health Laboratory for
analysis, and in each case the final sample has been reported
satisfactory.
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