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In three of the ten cases no bacteriological examination
of contacts was made. In one case no information was
available, as all enquiries were made by the military authorities.
In 6 of the cases bacteriological examinations of
contacts were made, 31 contacts being swabbed. In two
instances the swabs were positive. These two positive contacts
were admitted to the Willesden Isolation Hospital and
discharged after treatment had rendered the throat and posterior
nares free of the organism of the disease.
Isolation Hospital.
666 Cases of illness were treated in the Isolation Hospital
in 1916, as compared with 807 in 1915.
The outstanding feature of hospital administration during
the year has been the reduction of the period of
isolation for Scarlet Fever patients.
In 1910 the average stay of a Scarlet Fever patient
was 47 days, in 1911 48 days, in 1912 51 days, in 1913 46
days, in 1914 46 days, and in 1915 47 days, and in 1916
36 days. This reduction has been effected without increasing
the percentage of return cases which for the corresponding
years has been: 1910, 6.7; 1911, 4.6; 1912, 3.7; 1913,
5.2; 1914, 5.5; 1915, 2.9; and 1916, 5.4.
4. IMPROVING ENVIRONMENT.
The measures taken under this head are well known and
have been reviewed from time to time in previous Annual
Reports. They include (a) The removal of house refuse;
(b) The protection of the Water Supply; (c) The abatement
of Nuisances; (d) The improvement of the conditions under
which persons are employed in factories and workshops;
and (e) The inspection of houses with the view of dealing
with bad housing conditions.