View report page

11
PREVALENCE AND CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
Notifications. The total number of notifications received was 1,931. They
relate to the following diseases :—

Diphtheria. The amount of anti-toxin supplied to medical practitioners
during the year was 8,000 units. The number of children immunised under the
Council's scheme was 2,088. In addition, 2,195 school children were immunised
by medical officers of the London County Council. The percentages of the child
population immunised for the two age groups 0-5 and 5-15, based on estimated
populations, were 42 and 68.6 respectively.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum. Thirteen cases were notified, five of whom were
admitted to hospital. Nursing assistance was provided under the Council's scheme
in 8 cases.
Cerebrospinal Meningitis. Twenty-six cases were notified compared with
43 in 1941 and 42 in 1940. Two of these were military. All the cases were removed
to hospital, and in 12 the diagnosis was not confirmed. There were 2 deaths.
Typhus Fever. All the necessary arrangements were made for dealing with
an outbreak of Typhus Fever should such occur. Special protective clothing was
obtained for the use of the staff who would be engaged on this work and the sanitary
inspectors and the disinfectors were given special training. Agreement has been
reached w ith Lewisham for mutual assistance with Woolwich ; the first borough
having an outbreak will deal with the Typhus cases, whilst the other borough will
deal with non-typhus verminous cases.
Tuberculosis. The number of persons examined for the first time at the
Dispensaries was 1,129. Of these 175 were tuberculous. 280 contacts were
examined, of whom 11 were tuberculous. The total number of attendances at the
Woolwich and Eltham Dispensaries was 4,378. There were 767 cases on the tuberculosis
register on the 31st December. 3,622 visits were made by nurses to homes
of patients and 53 domiciliary visits were paid by the Tuberculosis Officer or an
Assistant Medical Officer. 551 cases were referred to the Dispensaries by medical
practitioners and 59 by medical boards. 607 specimens of sputum were examined,
of which 94 were positive.
The number of X-ray examinations made was 1,439. 73 patients received
artificial pneumothorax treatment. Additional nourishment was granted in 208
instances. Ten patients received dental treatment under the Council's scheme.
284 patients were admitted to hospitals, sanatoria, or training colonies. The
Tuberculosis Care Committee continued their meetings and rendered valuable
assistance in various ways to the needy tuberculous and their families.