View report page

31
notified, and all children living in the house are for a time excluded.
The source of the milk supply, the occupation of the
inmates, home work, sanitary condition of the premises, water
supply, presence of animals, etc., are all investigated, and a
report made to me on the same day. The name of the laundry is
also ascertained, the proprietor is notified, and the sending of
clothes there is prohibited until the premises are free from
infection.
" Disinfectants in every case are supplied free of charge.
" The Council also supply Anti-toxin to all medical practitioners
for the treatment of cases in the Borough.
Bacteriological Laboratory.
" Free diagnosis is given to medical practitioners in connection
with all suspicious cases of sore throat, and there is no doubt by
this means many cases of Diphtheria which otherwise would not
have been discovered have been detected and isolated.
" No case of Diphtheria treated in the Hospital is discharged
until examination has proved it to be free from bacilli. The
medical practitioners in the Borough adopt this method in connection
with cases of this disease which they treat at home.
Diphtheria bacilli occasionally persist in the throat long after all
symptoms have subsided, and as such cases can only be recognised
by bacteriological examination, it is important that this should be
done before isolation is discontinued.
"During the year, in all cases where the Sanitary Inspectors'
reports showed the presence of many children in the house, I have
personally visited the premises and taken " swabs " from the
throats of all contacts. In this way many persons apparently
well, but who were really harbouring Diphtheria germs in their
throats, have been discovered and isolated.
" If the investigation of a case points, as it frequently does, to
a school being the source of infection, this is visited, the children
are examined, and " swabs " taken from the nose and throat of
all suspicious cases. Disinfection of slates, pencils, class-room,
etc., being done where thought necessary.
" In addition to the above, a weekly list of infected premises is
sent to the schools, public libraries, pawnbrokers, etc.