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They were, therefore, disinfected before being handed to the owners, and in
those instances where they had been sent by Government Officials the facts, so
far as ascertained, were reported to the Board of Trade.
While the country has the most elaborate arrangements for dealing with
epidemic disease on a large scale, it is very readily forgotten how constant
and real must the danger of infection be when constantly the clothing of
persons who have died abroad from all kinds of disease is being sent home
without, in many cases, any precaution or trouble as to consequences.
Your Medical Officers have paid special attention to this point, and have
reason to know that the practice, though still carried out, is very largely
diminished.
THE HOSPITAL.
The Hospital has received during the six months two cases of small-pox,
one case of scarlet fever, two of enteric or typhoid fever, 11 of measles, two of
chicken-pox, and three other cases in which diagnosis was uncertain, in all
22 cases.
Your Worshipful Committee has not yet thought fit to adopt the suggestion
as to the abolition of all fees for maintenance of patients in Hospital, except in
the case of Public Institutions ; I trust, however, that the question is not yet
finally settled, and that eventually this will be agreed to, as I feel certain that
from a public health point of view it is the only reasonable plan to adopt.
NUISANCES.
Complaints of nuisances arising from various causes are brought to the
notice of your Officers daily, and are dealt with as a matter of routine.
One or two only call for special mention.
On the 8th August a letter was received from the Captain of the
Reformatory Ship "Cornwall," off Purfleet, complaining of a serious
nuisance arising from the deposit of rubbish by the Kensington Vestry on the
shore near the vessel.
This was investigated by your Chairman and Dr. Hill, who found that there
was really no nuisance that could fairly be considered as in any way injurious
to health. The matter was again brought up on 12th November by the
medical attendant to the ship suggesting it as a possible cause of a case of
enteric fever which had occurred on board. Your Medical Officer inspected
the spot in company with the Medical Officer of Health for the Orsett Union,
in which district the deposit actually is made.