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in reference to infectious fevers policy in the future. For some
reason not understood, Scarlet Fever has been becoming a milder
illness and Measles a more and more dangerous fever. Very few
cases of Scarlet Fever, formerly a very fatal condition, now die,
whereas a very considerable proportion of the cases of Measles
in young children prove fatal. In view of this, the Metropolitan
Asylums Board, in October, 1926, made the following decision:—
"In view of the much higher mortality of Measles and its far
greater destructive effect on child life, the present practice of
always admitting Scarlet Fever in preference to Measles should
be abandoned . . . and, in times of Measles prevalence, the
larger proportion of accommodation should be allotted to Measles."
Another infectious disease that calls for very special notice at
the present time is Small-pox, though, fortunately, East Ham has
thus far escaped the widespread epidemic of it. Since the passing
of the Vaccination Acts, 1898 and 1907, a great and increasing
number of children escape vaccination, and the terrible disease that
used to be so prevalent and so fatal in this country, but which
had been practically wiped out by compulsory vaccination, is
becoming an increasing menace to the well-being of the community.
Fortunately, the present epidemic is of a mild type; but
such an epidemic spreading to a city community living under such
conditions as those of East Ham might very easily revert to the
old-time virulence of Small-pox, when a large proportion of the
cases that did not die were left with a permanent disfigurement
from the marks on the face, and often with blindness or deafness
from involvement of the eyes or ears.
And the way to safety is simple and practically certain—
vaccination. Needless to say, all the influence that can be brought
to bear on the mothers attending with their babies at the White
House and the branch Centres by the Medical Officer and the
Health Visitors is exerted in the direction of persuading the parents
of the unvaccinated children coming under their observation to
have them vaccinated, and so save them from the threat of a
terrible disease under which, being non-vaccinated, they live.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
New regulations for the notification of Ophthalmia Neonatorum
(i.e., inflammation of the eyes of the new-born) came into
force in October, 1926, placing responsibility for such notification