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in the prevalence of the disease. It was, however, operative as regards the infants
departments of the following schools: Laburnum Street in January, Redvers Street
and Haggerston Road in February and Trinity Place in March.
Some eight intimations were received as to investigations by the School Medical
Authorities in consequence of the occurrence of cases of scarlet fever and diphtheria
amongst children attending some of the schools in the Borough, but only in a few
instances were exclusions necessary.
Information was also received from the School Medical Officer, as to the exclusions
from school of some 32 children, on account of the presence of the micro-organisms
of diphtheria in their throats or noses as ascertained by bacteriological examination.
The families to which the children belonged were resident in fifteen houses. They
were kept under observation, but no cases of diphtheria were subsequently notified
amongst the members there of, nor is there any evidence that such cases occurred.
BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS.
During 1926 some 1,046 examinations were made by Dr. J. Andrew at his
laboratory in the Kingsland Road. Of these 621 were for suspected diphtheria,
five for enteric fever, 330 for tuberculosis, one for influenza and 12 for gonorrhoea.
Fourteen Wassermann tests were made and nine samples of urine, one specimen of
cerebro-spinal fluid, one of a tumour from the breast, five for organisms and two
specimens of ice cream were also examined. Some 45 shaving brushes were examined
for anthrax. The presence of anthrax bacilli was not confirmed by animal experiments.
The results obtained were positive in 84 of the examinations for diphtheria
organisms, 50 of those for tubercle bacilli, three of the examinations for gonococci,
and in four of the Wassermann tests.
In addition, some 620 bacteriological examinations were made at the Royal
Chest Hospital in connection with the work of the Tuberculosis Dispensary.
DISINFECTION.
The premises disinfected numbered 1,052; the articles removed to the Borough
Disinfecting Station to be there disinfected totalled 14,204, and included 1,244 beds,
1,114 mattresses, 2,566 pillows, 781 bolsters, and some 8,499 other articles such as
sheets, blankets, quilts, curtains, carpets, clothing and the like. It was necessary
to destroy two pairs of mattresses which were so dilapidated and contaminated as
to render it inadvisable to return them. These were replaced with new.
THE SHELTER.
The accommodation provided under Section 60 (4) of the Public Health (London)
Act, 1891, at the shelter in Reeves Place was not in use on account of infectious
disease. A family had the use of rooms there for some 15 days on account of a badly
defective drain, accommodation elsewhere being impossible,