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money, clothing, shoes, extra nourishment, beds and bedding, and fares for relatives
to visit patients in institutions. The funds come from interest on investments;
donations from both employees of firms in the Borough and from private sources;
and by the sale of Christmas Seals.
It will be noted that the work carried out at the Dispensaries has again increased,
but that there is a gratifying fall in the number of notifications, of deaths, and in
the total number of notified cases on the register.
The major part of the Council's tuberculosis work, including the work
of the two dispensaries, passed to the Regional Hospital Board on the 5th
July. However, duties concerned with measures for the prevention of tuberculosis—investigation
of sources of infection, supervision of environment of tuberculous
persons, together with the keeping of a tuberculosis notification register of
all cases in the Borough, remain with the Borough Council (Public Health (Tuberculosis)
Regulations, 1930).
The Borough Council continued to undertake certain administrative functions
on behalf of the Regional Hospital Board during the latter half of 1948, on an
"Agency" basis.
Disinfection and Disinfestation. Infected articles of bedding, clothing,
etc., and articles infested with bugs are disinfected at the Council's Disinfecting
Station, White Hart Road, Plumstead; but the personal clothing of persons treated
at the two Cleansing Stations is disinfected at those two stations.
During the year 13,730 articles were disinfected at the three stations. The
number of rooms disinfected after cases of infectious disease was 465, and of these,
121 had been occupied by tuberculous persons. The number of rooms disinfested
of vermin was 1,091. Sixty-two van-loads of furniture were fumigated during the
year.
Personal Cleansing Stations are situated at the Turkish Baths, Plumstead High
Street, and at the Eltham Hill Health Centre, Sherard Road. Part of the premises
of the Turkish Baths was adapted as a Cleansing Station as a temporary measure
after the destruction in 1941 of the former cleansing station at White Hart Road.
Pending fruition of a plan for the erection of a combined cleansing and disinfecting
station the premises at the Turkish Baths were structurally altered, enabling the
service to be more permanent and efficient.
The number of persons cleansed of vermin was 1,869 and the number of persons
(including contacts) treated for scabies was 427. The total number of attendances
was 2,564.
Details of the number of cases and attendances at the two Cleansing Stations
are given below:—