[Report 1942] / Medical Officer of Health, Edinburgh City.

Edinburgh (Scotland). City Council.

Date:: 1942

Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1942] / Medical Officer of Health, Edinburgh City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

23/70 (page 19)

Closing op Hospitals to Visitors. Immediately on the discovery of sufferers from smallpox in its wards, the Royal Infirmary was closed to visitors. The City Hospital was similarly restricted and an announcement was made in the press that the Medical Superintendent would communicate with the relatives of any patient whose condition made a visit from relatives necessary. Arrangements were made to receive parcels for City Hospital patients at the Public Health Department in Johnston Terrace and there was a vanload every day. Three days after the first cases occurred, the Medical Officer of Health announced in the press that all the Corporation hospitals were closed to visitors, and he recommended the governing bodies of voluntary hospitals to follow the same course. All of them did so. As the weeks passed there were a few complaints by writers of letters-to-the-editor about the ban on hospital visiting, and it had to be made plain in press notices that the risk of infection was present until sixteen days had elapsed after a case of smallpox. The ban was lifted on Monday, January 4, and advertisements and paragraphs to that effect appeared in that morning’s newspapers. Letters lifting the ban were also at the same time in the hands of the superintendents of hospitals and of the secretaries of governing bodies. There was general relief at the removal of the restriction, which had lasted two months. Disinfections. Thorough disinfection of the homes and of the personal belongings of patients was carried out as soon as possible after the removal to hospital. Dwellinghouses were subjected to spraying by a 40 per cent, solution of formaldehyde and personal clothing was removed to the Disinfecting Station for disinfection by steam. The Superintendent of the Royal Infirmary arranged a disinfection of all the wards of his institution, and collaborated with Dr. R. P. Jack of the Public Health Depart- ment in disinfecting the wards of the Convalescent Home at Corstorphine and the clothing of patients who had been resident there. The disinfecting process was such that damage to clothing took place, chiefly in the form of shrinkage. Five claims for compensation were received and passed to the Town Clerk for settlement. Claims for loss of wages were disallowed. It was deemed advisable to destroy ration books, clothing cards, national registration identity cards and other printed material which had been handled by patients and contacts. The ration books and identity cards were replaced by the Food Executive Officer and the National Registration Officer whose headquarters were in the same building, and the clothing cards were replaced on representations being made to the Assistance Board. Paper money to the value of £35, 10s. in one pound notes and ten shilling notes was burned in the presence of the Medical Officer of Health, who signed certificates in return for which the Banks furnished new notes. One Bank sent their own representative to the Public Health Department to witness the burning of notes. Expenditure in connection with the outbreak amounted to £11,763, 18s. lid.