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10
The Reports as to the value of Antitoxic Serum in the treatment of
Diphtheria, appear to prove that the Serum exerts a very powerful influence
over the disease in many cases. The Metropolitan Asylums' Board have
for some time issued the Serum to Medical Gentlemen who had to treat at
home cases which the Board could not receive into their Hospitals. In a
letter dated December 21st, 1897, the Clerk to the Board states "The
"Managers have reason to believe that in some cases (from causes beyond
"their control) delay has occurred before Antitoxin is in the hands of the
"Medical Practitioner, and they think that its distribution may, in many
"cases, be accelerated by placing a supply in the hands of the several
"Metropolitan Medical Officers of Health, as well as in the hands of the
"Board's Medical Superintendents. With this object I am directed to
"enquire whether, in the event of pressure upon the Board's accommodation
"again necessitating the temporary refusal of Diphtheria cases, you will
"be willing to receive and distribute the Serum in the manner proposed ? "
I at once wrote and expressed my readiness to co-operate in the useful
suggestion, but fortunately up to this time no difficulty has arisen in the
removal of our cases to the Hospitals. As a matter of fact very few of our
cases of Diphtheria, Membranous Croup, Scarlet Fever and Enteric Fever
have been treated at their own homes. It is probably due partly to this
reason that we have had fewer notifications during the year. It is also
certain that the type of each disease has been less severe, for only 6.5 per
cent, of persons attacked by these diseases died.
It has always been the practice for drains in a house to be inspected after
the occurrence therein of a notifiable infectious disease unless an inspection
has recently been made. No exception now is made in any case. During
the year an immense amount of drain work has been supervised by your Inspectors,
and I regard this work as of the highest importance. Some difficulty
has occasionally arisen when combined drainage has been met with.
At a Conference called together at Holborn to consider the question, after
several meetings the representatives of the Metropolitan Vestries and
Boards agreed upon the wording of a Bill which was drafted to meet the
difficulty, and it was resolved to request the London County Council to
introduce it during the next Session of Parliament.
I am often spoken to by members of the Board on the subject of " The
Bell Lane area, Whitechapel," as it has been called for over 20 years. You
are aware that Middlesex Street and Sandy's Row have been widened.
This has caused the demolition of some of the insanitary property which
was included in the original representation. All the members of the Board
may not have seen a Report of the Housing of the Working Classes Committee
of the London County Council, which was agreed to by the Council
during the first quarter of the year. I here reproduce it for your information.
It is dated 17th February, 1897.
"The attention of the Council has been directed from time to time to an insani"tary
area in Whitechapel, known as the Bell Lane area. This area formed the
"subject of a representation under the Artizans' Dwellings Acts in 1877, but no
"scheme was framed by the Metropolitan Board of Works for dealing with it, and
"after careful consideration of the matter in 1890 wo informed the Council thatwe
"were unable to see our way to recommend the adoption of so large a scheme as
"would be involved in the widening of Bell Lane and Sandy's Row, combined with
"clearance of the central area. The Council subsequently resolved to widen
"Sandy's Row, which partly bounded the represented area on the west side as a
"street improvement—and this has to a small extent improved the condition of the
"area. We are now glad to be able to report that an opportunity presents itself
"of making a clearance of all the courts and alleys on that part of the area which
"lies between Bell Lane and Sandy's Row. We have be en in communication with Sir
" Algernon Osborn, the freeholder of the Osborn estate, which includes the area
"above-mentioned, and he is prepared to co-operate with the Council in improving