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Moreover, one patient was notified as, but found not to be,
Buffering from enteric fever.
Besides, 9 cases of " foreigners " were notified from the Edmonton
Infirmary, all of whom were treated to a conclusion there, and of them
6 died.
Diet. Careful enquiries were made into every case reported,
except the "foreigners," with a view to ascertaining the source of infection.
Owing to the fact that enteric fever is invariably conveyed by the mouth,
and in most cases through the agency of contaminated food or drink,
special enquiries were made as to those articles of diet—such as shellfish,
fried fish, watercress, etc.—that are most liable to contamination
by the organism of this disease. It was found that among the three cases
reported, all had been habitual shell-fish eaters, and had partaken of this
food in some form at a date that admitted of its being reasonably
entertained as a possible source of infection. Two of them had eaten
fried fish under similar circumstances, and two were regular eaters of
both shell and fried fish. None of the patients had eaten freely of raw
vegetables and fruit.
Cerebro-Spinal Fever and Acute Polio-Myelitis.
Cerebro-spinal fever was first made notifiable in Edmonton by an
emergency order for one month, from 22nd March, 1907, and then by
four orders notification was continued up to May 21st, 1912. I
received one circular and two memoranda about these diseases (per
our Clerk) from the Local Government Board on December 13th, 1911.
These diseases are somewhat similar in the symptoms, and in both cases
the mortality is high amongst the persons attacked. On my advice, these
diseases were made permanently notifiable in Edmonton on 9th March,
1912. The Board sent us a circular dated 16th August, conveying an
order, dated August 15th, making these diseases compulsorily notifiable
in all areas.
During the year I received one notification of polio-myelitis, but no
notifications of cerebro-spinal fever.
ENFIELD AND EDMONTON JOINT ISOLATION
HOSPITAL.
This is situated on 27 acres of land in the Enfield District, on
its Winchmore Hill border, and adjoining the large Convalescent Hospital
of the Metropolitan Asylums Board. It consists of an administrative
block, nine blocks of wards, a discharge block, porter's lodge, engineer's
cottage, mortuary, laundry disinfecting station, and a. bungalow. Blocks
V. and VI. and the bungalow are constructed of wood and galvanised
iron; all the other buildings are of a permanent character. The bungalow