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52.
action "became necessary under the Public Health (Prevention
of Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1925, or Section 172 of the
Public Health Act 1936.
Disinfection of premises is carried out in all cases of
death, or when the patients are admitted to hospital or sanatoria.
Very close contact is maintained with the Kingston and
District Tuberculosis Care Committee, of which body the Medical
Officer of Health was Honorary Secretary for several years.
Considerable assistance has been given to patients, and there
is no doubt that the Care Committee is fulfilling its proper
function of helping towards the rehabilitation of patients.
As the result of co-operation with the Care Committee and
the National Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis,
meetings were held and films shown, in the Borough. Each
meeting v/as well attended, particularly those at local factories.
The opportunity was taken to distribute leaflets all dealing with
measures necessary to combat Tuberculosis, and in several cases
applications have been made for further supplies. Acknowledgment
must be made of the whole-hearted co-operation of, and
interest shown by, the managements of the works concerned and
the shop stewards. At several of the meetings, one of which
was addressed by the County Medical Officer, reference was
made to mass radiography, and the co-operation of the factory
workers v/as invited.
SCABIES...
At the request of the Ministry of Health special reference
is made to the subject. Owing to the general increase
in the number of cases of scabies, the Ministry of Health
issued a memorandum giving advice on the measures for prevention
and care of this condition, and the treatment and disinfestation of
members of households among whom cases of scabies were knovn to
exist,
In addition to the memorandum a special order, known as
the Scabies Order, 1941, was made by the Minister of Health under
Regulation 33A of the Defence (General) Regulations 1939. This
order strengthened considerably the powers of Local Authorities,
as it gives authority for the inspection of premises in which
Persons found to be verminous are, or have been, accommodated and
for the examination and treatment of any other persons in these
premises who may be verminous. It will be noted that this is
a general authority in regard to verminous persons and premises,
but scabies itself noed not necessarily be associated with
verminous conditions. It was felt, however, that special
measures were necessary to combat the increase of scabies which
has^rcsulted from war-time conditions such as overcrowding and
difficulty in maintaining personal cleanliness.
Accordingly arrangements were made for the treatment of
cases of scabies at the Cleansing stations attached to the two
First Aid Posts in the Borough and this commenced in January, 1942,
It started first as an experiment, and provided mostly for the
treatment of school children, but adults attended from time to
time, and with the knowledge that further cases would in all
probability arise, all of whom would require treatment, local
doctors wore invited to a meeting, which v/as presided over by
the Medical Officer of Health, on the 14th September, 1942.
The Doctors were asked to co-operate by giving notification of
cases which came to their notice, and from that meeting a system
of notification v/as evolved whi ch has worked very well, and which
is voluntary on the part of the doctors. In brief,the notification
form consiits of two parts, one of which gives information to the