Dr. S. Monckton Copeman's report to the Local Government Board on prevalence of measles, enteric fever and diphtheria in the borough of Lowestoft, and on general sanitary administration in that town / [S. Monckton Copeman].

  • Copeman, S. Monckton (Sydney Monckton), 1862-
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. S. Monckton Copeman's report to the Local Government Board on prevalence of measles, enteric fever and diphtheria in the borough of Lowestoft, and on general sanitary administration in that town / [S. Monckton Copeman]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    14/18 (page 14)
    The Medical Officer of Health is Dr. John Tubb Thomas, who was appointed to the post in September 1895. His salary is 100k, of which half is repaid from county funds. During the short period that he has been in office he has made himself well acquainted with all the circumstances of the district under his care, and he has, on various occasions offered, sound advice to the Council, who, however, do not appear to afford him all the facilities which are desirable for the efficient discharge of his duties. Thus, no office has been assigned to him, so that, in conducting his business, he has to use a comer of the Council Chamber for the purpose. Again, the Council do not provide him with any assistance in the clerical ^portion of his work. He appears to be a capable officer, and is not engaged in private practice. The Inspector of Nuisances, Mr. P. Kelt, has held office for a number of years. I have had on former occasions opportunity of judging of the character of his work, and I consider it in. the main to be decidedly satisfactory. He receives a salary of 120k, of which one half is repaid from county funds. In addition, he is paid 7s. a week by the Council to provide himself with some assistance in drain-testing, a part of his work which takes up a considerable proportion of his time. With this exception, he is single-handed in his work, and, in consequence, it is impossible for him to give sufficient time to all the various items of sanitary work which require attention in a town of the size of Lowestoft. Moreover, he is hampered by the multiplicity of other duties which have been imposed on him by the Town Council, although it is only fair to state that certain of them, such as the post of mace-bearer, practically entail little or no work. It is very desirable that further assistance should be afforded to the Medical Officer of Health by an increase in number of the sanitary staff, as otherwise, owing to the difficulty of dealing promptly with all questions of sanitation that arise, there is risk of Lowestoft losing its present reputation as a health resort. The Town Council have provided accommodation for the isolation of cases of infectious disease at the Sanatorium, in which 57 cases were treated during 1895, of which number 31 were admitted since September, when the present Medical Officer of Health came into office. The buildings consist of an administration block and two pavilions each containing two small wards, and of a small iron building which was erected in anticipation of cholera. A mortuary, disinfecting chamber, and laundry and ambulance shed are all contained in one block of buildings at the rear of the hospital buildings. A permanent staff of three nurses, two of whom are trained, and one not so, have recently been engaged, A resident caretaker, and his wife, who acts as matron and cook, live in the administration block. Here also the nurses sleep, but there is only one bedroom available for both day and night nurses, and there is no bath-room in this block. There is a resident laundress, but no ward maids have been appointed. In the laundry the only provision for the supply of the hot water necessary for washing is from a small copper. The disinfecting chamber, supplied by Goddard and Massey, is of efficient type. There are separate chambers for infected and disinfected goods. The carts used for conveying articles from the town to the disin¬ fecting chamber and back are arranged to be propelled by hand. They are very heavy and of a size insufficient to take a full-sized mattress. A large horse ambulance is also kept in this shed, which is horsed when necessary from the Corporation stables. June 1896. 8* MONCKTON COLEMAN.