[Report 1892] / Medical Officer of Health, Bristol.

  • Bristol (England). Council.
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Report 1892] / Medical Officer of Health, Bristol. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    101/110 (page 94)
    It would be well for your Committee to ascertain from the various Boards of Guardians to what extent each would be able and willing to provide hospital beds, nursing, and attendance for such cases ; and the absolute certainty of 100 beds available at any moment during the summer and autumn, should be secured. Any deficiency in accommodation would at present 1 ave to be supplemented by the 40 beds at your Old Hospital site, which would have to be kept free for the purpose. Should any other epidemic, such as Small-pox, intervene, the provision of tem- porary iron hut accommodation upon the new site at Novers Hill must be made. F Provision for securing early Notification. It is of the utmost importance, in order to secure the prompt application of disinfection means, upon which so much depends for success, that each case of cholera or of choleraic diarrhoea should be made known to me without delay. It is true that Cholera is already notifiable under the Act of 1889, but with the best intentions, a delay of 12 or 18 hours may easily obtain, if the case be notified through the post in the ordinary way. I would therefore advise your Committee to sanction the payment of Special telegrams, in addition to the usual fee for Notification, in all cases of true cholera or of choleraic diarrhoea in which there is reasonable ground for suspicion ; and in this way to facilitate the rapid acquisition of early and complete knowledge of cases. G- Provision of temporary supply of Medicine and of Medical Assistance for the poorer inhabitants of the City, during the Autumnal diarrhoea period, should Cholera at that lime have obtained a foothold in England. During the late summer and autumn of each year, diarrhoea of greater or less severity is very commonly prevalent, and in times of Cholera this diarrhoea prevalence has greater significance, in that some of the cases may prove to be actual Cholera ; so that at such times the careful registration and treatment of all cases of diarrhoea becomes of particular importance. It is competent for your Authority, under sec. 188 of the Public Health Act, 1875, to provide or contract (with the sanction