View report page

48
Small Pox.—No case of small pox occurred in the Borough during the year. There were,
however, three cases in Hackney, one in Hampstead, one in Poplar, and one in Shoreditch.
A. number of persons who had been in contact with cases of small pox in various parts of the
country or on board ship came into the Borough during the period in which they might possibly
have been incubating the disease. In every case these contacts were visited at once and urged to
be re-vaccinated if this precautionary measure had not already been adopted. Daily visits were
continued to these persons until the extreme possible period of incubation had expired. The object
of the visits is to secure prompt isolation before the patient becomes infectious in the event of any
suspicious illness developing.
Scarlet Fever.—The number of cases notified during the year was 264, of which 247 were
removed to hospital.

Thirteen cases notified as suffering from scarlet fever were found, after admission to hospital,
not to be suffering from any infectious disease at all, with the result that they were returned home.
During the past five years, the Borough has been comparatively free from scarlet fever and at
no time in this period has the disease existed in what might be described as epidemic form. The
mildness of the disease is reflected by the fact that there were no fatal cases during 1927. The
deaths in the three preceding years were 1, 2 and 4.
In previous years, cases of scarlet fever have occurred in families where a member of the family
had, within the previous twenty-eight days, returned from a fever hospital after having been treated
for this disease. Cases of this kind are called "return cases," and a very careful investigation is
made in each with a view to ascertaining the source of infection. During 1927, however, there has
not been a single case of this kmd reported.
Immediately on receipt of notification at the Town Hall that a person is suffering from scarlet
fever, the home is visited by the District Sanitary Inspector for the purpose of investigating the
source of infection ; children in the house are excluded from school for 7 days and a pamphlet is
left at the home advising that a doctor should be called in if any other member of the family becomes
unwell, suffers from a sore throat or develops a rash.
Disinfection of the home and any articles likely to be infected is carried out on the day following
the admission of the patient to hospital, or in the case of a patient nursed at home, on the receipt
of a medical certificate that he is free from infection.
A child of school age is not allowed to resume school attendance until a fortnight has elapsed
since discharge from hospital or, in the case of a child nursed at home, a fortnight after the doctor's
certificate of freedom from infection has been received.
Diphtheria.—Three hundred and ninety-two cases were notified during the year, 386 of which
were removed to hospital.
The following table shows the number of cases notified in the various wards in each fourweekly
period during 1927.