Dr. R.J. Reece's report to the Local Government Board on the sanitary circumstances and administration of the Williton Rural District, with special reference to the appointment of medical officer of health.

  • Reece, Richard James, 1862-1924.
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr. R.J. Reece's report to the Local Government Board on the sanitary circumstances and administration of the Williton Rural District, with special reference to the appointment of medical officer of health. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    and the Minehead Urban District, a hospital district under the name of “The Minehead and Williton (West) Hospital District.” After local inquiry, the Board in 1905 consented to the borrowing by the county council of the sum of £5,500, for the provision of an isolation hospital for infectious diseases, other than small-pox. This hospital is situated on the main road between Minehead and Porlock in the parish of Selworthy, and consists of an administration block, a laundry and disinfecting block, a mortuary, and two ward blocks, each containing three wards for two beds each. The county council contributes one-third to the cost of this hospital. Method of dealing with Infectious Disease.—In the eastern division of the district, the medical officer of health on receipt of the notification of a case of infectious disease, goes to the invaded home and investigates the circumstances associated with the case ; he also informs the inspector of nuisances with regard to the case. The inspector of nuisances inspects the sanitary condition of the house, and if necessary tests the house drains, and takes samples of drinking water for analysis. The inspector sends a written notice to the schoolmaster or mistress if the patient has been attending school, or if any children from the invaded house are attending school. In future, the printed forms suggested by the county medical officer of health will be used. Printed forms giving warn- ing against the exposure of persons suffering from infectious disease are left with the householder. No notices are left to be filled in by the medical attendant to be forwarded to the medical officer of health after the termination of the case, and when the house is ready for disinfection ; but disinfection after scarlet fever is not undertaken until a medical certificate is received that the patient is free from infection. On the termination of the case the inspector of nuisances disin- fects the invaded house ; formalin vapour is used for this purpose, though sometimes fumigation by burning sulphur is employed. The walls and ceilings of the rooms are lime-washed : few of the country cottages have papered walls, but generally where the walls are papered the paper is stripped off. The occupiers are directed to wash and to boil all clothes and articles which can be submitted to these processes. A similar procedure is followed in the western division, except that inasmuch as this division (save only the Old Cleeve parish) is included in the isolation hospital scheme, the above procedure is varied; for the house is disinfected on the removal of the patient to the hospital, and the infected clothes, bedding, etc., are removed for disinfection to the steam disinfecting apparatus at the hospital. Houses are disinfected after deaths from tuberculosis if the householders request that this be done. Disinfectants are supplied by the rural district council in cases of infectious disease, and in the past the council has paid for the bacterial examination of “ swabs,” from suspected cases of diphtheria. The county council now offer to examine material for evidence of diphtheria and enteric fever for the rural district council. Disinfecting Apparatus.—There is a Thresh’s steam disinfecting apparatus at the isolation hospital, and this is available for the