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9
Sometimes the old person refuses to enter a Home or Hospital
and refuses all offers of help. In other cases the living conditions may
be so bad that the domiciliary services could not function. In these
cases it becomes necessary for the Council to apply to the Court for
an Order for the compulsory removal of the patient to a hospital or
to other suitable accommodation.
Two such cases occurred during the year but formal action under
the Act was necessary only in one instance.
This was the case of an elderly woman who occupied one room
in an otherwise well conducted household. She had accumulated so
much rubbish over a period of years that it was difficult to enter the
room in which there was no free space other than a small area in front
of the gas fire. All other available space and furniture was stacked
high with rubbish—some of it filthy. The old woman had neglected
herself, was under-nourished and mentally incapable of making a
decision. She refused help or admission to a Home.
An Order was obtained from the Court and the patient was
removed to a Home. She settled quickly and soon improved both
physically and mentally.
The greater part of the contents of her room had to be destroyed
by burning.
SECTION 'F' — PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER,
INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES
Dysentery.
One hundred and fifteen cases of dysentery due to Shigella sonnei
were notified, and a considerable number of additional cases were
ascertained by other means.
Shigella sonnei causes a mild form of dysentery and there were
troublesome outbreaks affecting two primary schools and a Day
Nursery. A mother suffering from the disease infected her baby at or
soon after childbirth, and unfortunately the infant failed to survive.
In all other cases the illness was mild and symptoms normally persisted
for a few days only. However, there were cases which relapsed, and
quite a number of children continued to harbour the organism for
some time after apparent cure.
In October cases began to occur amongst children attending
Mortlake County Primary School; in November children attending
St. Mary Magdalene R.C. Primary School and Castelnau Day
Nursery were similarly affected. Generally the incidence increased for
10 days and then diminished during the following 10 days and by the
end of three weeks very few new cases were occurring.