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INFECTIOUS DISEASE IN ENGLAND AND WALES DURING THE WEEK ENDED OCT. 17TH, 1925.
940 which
resulted in
permanent.
19
of
the
survivors
will
be
’
Dr. A. F. G. Spinks, in the maternity and child welfare report, states that antenatal work makes some progress. Thus 414 expectant mothers attended the six antenatal clinics. The births for the city numbered 6335. The " handy " woman has almost disappeared in Newcastle and all but six of the 43 practising midwives are trained women. The death-rate among illegitimate babies was less than among the legitimate, and it is pointed out that 174 of the 253 illegitimate babies were under the supervision of the centres. Dr. Kerr points out that men affected by tuberculosis have little chance of obtaining a new house, and suggests that the health committee might subsidise persons of this class to enable them to obtain corporation houses. He emphasises the futility of benefiting the health of the consumptive in the sanatorium and then allowing him to return to appalling home conditions. The health committee is considering the establishment of a workshop where patients returning from the sanatorium could do The open-air work according to their limitations. school on the Pendower Housing Estate became an established fact during the year, but no adequate provision has yet been made by the health committee The health committee for surgical tuberculosis. " " " purchases Certified and Grade A (tuberculintested) milk for the use of the City Hospital, and the agricultural department of Armstrong College is now conducting much local teaching on the farms of the northern counties, and is also organising clean milk competitions. The transport of milk remains unsatisfactory, but the L. and N.E. Railway are said to be considering the adoption of an improved type of milk wagon. The effort to secure the rinsing of empty milk cans before return is making progress. Thus in 1922 2-5 per cent. were found by the inspectors to be unrinsed, in 1923 0-5 per cent., and in 1924 0-2 per cent. The last figure is the result of the examination of 25,015 empty churns. Dr. Kerr has no improvement to report in housing conditions. Only 11 municipal houses were completed during the year, but some hundreds more were in course of construction at the close of the year. 268 houses were erected by private enterprise. " There is still no power," says Dr. Kerr, " to control the cases of heartless profiteering on the part of the exploiters of so-called furnished lodgings."
i
"
year, and the hospital has now a full staff of visiting specialists from Exeter, who visit monthly. The dental surgeon, in addition to his routine work of extractions and fillings, examines all new patients 011 An X ray department will be in full admission. working order shortly. Every effort is made to bri!-i,,,. variety and interest into the lives of the patients. No less than 360 went for all-day motor charabanc picnics during the summer, while many others weat out for half-day excursions gathering fruit and flowers. During the winter weekly dances and concerts are held, and a Pathe cinematograph and a wireless set have The patients much appreciate the been installed. new ward socials, which allow them to stay up till 9.30 P.M. Fetes, sports, and games are also included in the programme. The occupational therapy includes printing, weaving, mat-, net-, stocking-, and shoemaking. Patients who wish to wear their own clothes are allowed to do so, and the workhouse type of garment is being done away with as it becomes worn out. Thirty attendants and nurses hold the M.P.A. certificate, and every effort is made to encourage a high standard of nursing, but the utiiversal difficulty in obtaining satisfactory probationers has been experienced. The ninety-fifth report of the Belfast ileW %cl
Hospital is illustrated with photographs showlüg the excellent system of 11 " villas," in which 1000 patients are housed, according to their condition. The recovery-rate for the year was 24 per cent. and the death-rate 7 per cent. There is rather a high proportion of cases of general paralysis (24 nicies and three females), which accounted for 17-5 per cent. of the deaths. The malarial treatment has continued to prove satisfactory; out of 48 ca-3-Is treated, 14 were discharged, 12 were well improved, 8 slightly improved, and 6 died. There have been slight outbreaks of influenza and typhoid fever,
checked by isolation. The typhoid has mw been traced to the water-supply and a filtration plant installed. Parole and home visits are allowed wherever possible, and there has been no abuse of the privilege ; 60 per cent. of the patients are usefully employed on the farm or in the workshops or wards. A new lending library has been formed, and the " tuck shop " gives innocent pleasure. The Monmouthshire Asylum at Abergavenny supports 1140 patients. The present accommodation is not sufficient to allow of satisfactory segregation, although the system of small dormitories allows classification within wards. The recovery-rate was MENTAL HOSPITAL REPORTS 40-8 per cent., a great improvement on previous THE seventy-ninth annual report of the Devon years. The death-rate was 6’2 per cent., and there 6lentuZ Hospital at Exminster is just what such a was no epidemic disease except a few cases of influenza. report should be. Over 1170 patients are accommo- The dietary has been considerably improved. The dated under the charge of four medical officers, and dentist has been busily employed, but this institution every effort is made to keep the institution in the has at present no specialist visiting staff. An front rank. The visiting commissioner mentions the instructor is to be engaged this year for those likely many improvements since his previous visit, which to benefit from physical exercises. Every effort is include better baths, more stringent precautions in made to find employment for all patients. Fortythe administration of medicines, and the provision two nurses and attendants hold the M.P.A. certificate. of bed tables, pianos, and aluminium bedroom, All the visitors remark on the contented and domestic kitchen, and table ware. The recovery-rate for the atmosphere of the wards. year was 32-29 per cent. and the death-rate 6-92 per cent., a satisfactory decrease on previous years and Post-mortem INFECTIOUS DISEASE IN ENGLAND AND WALES the lowest on record since 1899. examinations were held on 60 per cent. of the fatal DURING THE WEEK ENDED OCT. 17TH, 1925. cases. Twenty cases were discharged on trial with Notifications.—The following cases of infectious disease money allowances, and parole has been increasingly were notified during theweek : Small-pox, 43 ; scarlet allowed. There has been a gratifying increase of fever, diphtheria, 1145 ; enteric fever, 59 ; pneuprivate patients able to afford a moderate fee and monia, 2382; 758 ; puerperal fever, 36 ; cerebro-spinal fever, 6 ; sent in by doctors practising in the county. The acute poliomyelitis, 10 ; acute polio-encephalitis, 3 ; sanatorium has been reopened for the isolation of encephalitis lethargica, 56 ; continued fever, 1 ; dysentery, infectious cases ; the hospital has been troubled by 5 ; ophthalmia neonatorum, 86. There were no cases of small epidemics of dysentery and typhoid. The cholera, plague, or typhus notified during the week. Deaths.-In the aggregate of great towns, including pathological laboratory has carried out the routine work satisfactorily. Blood cultures in the early days London, there were 4 deaths from enteric fever, 26 from of doubtful fevers revealed seven cases of typhoid, measles, 17 from scarlet fever, 29 from whooping-cough, 28 from diphtheria, and 47 from influenza, as compared which might possibly never have been recognised with 51, 41, and 26 in the preceding weeks. In London A systematic search for the source of the itself 57, clinically. there were 7 deaths from diphtheria, 2 from whoopingtyphoid infection is now being conducted. A new enough, and 10 from influenza, as compared with 12, 9, 5, operating theatre was opened in the course of the and 7 in the preceding weeks.
rapidly
resulted in
permanent.
19
of
the
survivors
will
be
’
Dr. A. F. G. Spinks, in the maternity and child welfare report, states that antenatal work makes some progress. Thus 414 expectant mothers attended the six antenatal clinics. The births for the city numbered 6335. The " handy " woman has almost disappeared in Newcastle and all but six of the 43 practising midwives are trained women. The death-rate among illegitimate babies was less than among the legitimate, and it is pointed out that 174 of the 253 illegitimate babies were under the supervision of the centres. Dr. Kerr points out that men affected by tuberculosis have little chance of obtaining a new house, and suggests that the health committee might subsidise persons of this class to enable them to obtain corporation houses. He emphasises the futility of benefiting the health of the consumptive in the sanatorium and then allowing him to return to appalling home conditions. The health committee is considering the establishment of a workshop where patients returning from the sanatorium could do The open-air work according to their limitations. school on the Pendower Housing Estate became an established fact during the year, but no adequate provision has yet been made by the health committee The health committee for surgical tuberculosis. " " " purchases Certified and Grade A (tuberculintested) milk for the use of the City Hospital, and the agricultural department of Armstrong College is now conducting much local teaching on the farms of the northern counties, and is also organising clean milk competitions. The transport of milk remains unsatisfactory, but the L. and N.E. Railway are said to be considering the adoption of an improved type of milk wagon. The effort to secure the rinsing of empty milk cans before return is making progress. Thus in 1922 2-5 per cent. were found by the inspectors to be unrinsed, in 1923 0-5 per cent., and in 1924 0-2 per cent. The last figure is the result of the examination of 25,015 empty churns. Dr. Kerr has no improvement to report in housing conditions. Only 11 municipal houses were completed during the year, but some hundreds more were in course of construction at the close of the year. 268 houses were erected by private enterprise. " There is still no power," says Dr. Kerr, " to control the cases of heartless profiteering on the part of the exploiters of so-called furnished lodgings."
i
"
year, and the hospital has now a full staff of visiting specialists from Exeter, who visit monthly. The dental surgeon, in addition to his routine work of extractions and fillings, examines all new patients 011 An X ray department will be in full admission. working order shortly. Every effort is made to bri!-i,,,. variety and interest into the lives of the patients. No less than 360 went for all-day motor charabanc picnics during the summer, while many others weat out for half-day excursions gathering fruit and flowers. During the winter weekly dances and concerts are held, and a Pathe cinematograph and a wireless set have The patients much appreciate the been installed. new ward socials, which allow them to stay up till 9.30 P.M. Fetes, sports, and games are also included in the programme. The occupational therapy includes printing, weaving, mat-, net-, stocking-, and shoemaking. Patients who wish to wear their own clothes are allowed to do so, and the workhouse type of garment is being done away with as it becomes worn out. Thirty attendants and nurses hold the M.P.A. certificate, and every effort is made to encourage a high standard of nursing, but the utiiversal difficulty in obtaining satisfactory probationers has been experienced. The ninety-fifth report of the Belfast ileW %cl
Hospital is illustrated with photographs showlüg the excellent system of 11 " villas," in which 1000 patients are housed, according to their condition. The recovery-rate for the year was 24 per cent. and the death-rate 7 per cent. There is rather a high proportion of cases of general paralysis (24 nicies and three females), which accounted for 17-5 per cent. of the deaths. The malarial treatment has continued to prove satisfactory; out of 48 ca-3-Is treated, 14 were discharged, 12 were well improved, 8 slightly improved, and 6 died. There have been slight outbreaks of influenza and typhoid fever,
checked by isolation. The typhoid has mw been traced to the water-supply and a filtration plant installed. Parole and home visits are allowed wherever possible, and there has been no abuse of the privilege ; 60 per cent. of the patients are usefully employed on the farm or in the workshops or wards. A new lending library has been formed, and the " tuck shop " gives innocent pleasure. The Monmouthshire Asylum at Abergavenny supports 1140 patients. The present accommodation is not sufficient to allow of satisfactory segregation, although the system of small dormitories allows classification within wards. The recovery-rate was MENTAL HOSPITAL REPORTS 40-8 per cent., a great improvement on previous THE seventy-ninth annual report of the Devon years. The death-rate was 6’2 per cent., and there 6lentuZ Hospital at Exminster is just what such a was no epidemic disease except a few cases of influenza. report should be. Over 1170 patients are accommo- The dietary has been considerably improved. The dated under the charge of four medical officers, and dentist has been busily employed, but this institution every effort is made to keep the institution in the has at present no specialist visiting staff. An front rank. The visiting commissioner mentions the instructor is to be engaged this year for those likely many improvements since his previous visit, which to benefit from physical exercises. Every effort is include better baths, more stringent precautions in made to find employment for all patients. Fortythe administration of medicines, and the provision two nurses and attendants hold the M.P.A. certificate. of bed tables, pianos, and aluminium bedroom, All the visitors remark on the contented and domestic kitchen, and table ware. The recovery-rate for the atmosphere of the wards. year was 32-29 per cent. and the death-rate 6-92 per cent., a satisfactory decrease on previous years and Post-mortem INFECTIOUS DISEASE IN ENGLAND AND WALES the lowest on record since 1899. examinations were held on 60 per cent. of the fatal DURING THE WEEK ENDED OCT. 17TH, 1925. cases. Twenty cases were discharged on trial with Notifications.—The following cases of infectious disease money allowances, and parole has been increasingly were notified during theweek : Small-pox, 43 ; scarlet allowed. There has been a gratifying increase of fever, diphtheria, 1145 ; enteric fever, 59 ; pneuprivate patients able to afford a moderate fee and monia, 2382; 758 ; puerperal fever, 36 ; cerebro-spinal fever, 6 ; sent in by doctors practising in the county. The acute poliomyelitis, 10 ; acute polio-encephalitis, 3 ; sanatorium has been reopened for the isolation of encephalitis lethargica, 56 ; continued fever, 1 ; dysentery, infectious cases ; the hospital has been troubled by 5 ; ophthalmia neonatorum, 86. There were no cases of small epidemics of dysentery and typhoid. The cholera, plague, or typhus notified during the week. Deaths.-In the aggregate of great towns, including pathological laboratory has carried out the routine work satisfactorily. Blood cultures in the early days London, there were 4 deaths from enteric fever, 26 from of doubtful fevers revealed seven cases of typhoid, measles, 17 from scarlet fever, 29 from whooping-cough, 28 from diphtheria, and 47 from influenza, as compared which might possibly never have been recognised with 51, 41, and 26 in the preceding weeks. In London A systematic search for the source of the itself 57, clinically. there were 7 deaths from diphtheria, 2 from whoopingtyphoid infection is now being conducted. A new enough, and 10 from influenza, as compared with 12, 9, 5, operating theatre was opened in the course of the and 7 in the preceding weeks.
rapidly