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27
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
1.—Notifiable Diseases.
During 1915, under the Compulsory Notification Clauses of the
Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and the Orders and Regulations
made thereunder, 3,774 cases of infectious diseases (excluding tuberculosis)
were reported, including the newly notifiable cerebro-spinal
fever, 44; polio-myelitis acute, 4; ophthalmia neonatorum, 73;
whooping cough, 1607; and chicken pox (notifiable from March
17th to June 30th), 473. These 3,774 cases occurred in 3,062 infected
houses, and of the 3,774 cases 1,372, i.e., 36.4 per cent.,
were removed to hospital, and 2,402, i.e., 63.6 per cent.,
remained under treatment at their homes. If the newly notifiable
diseases be excluded so as to make the 1915 figures strictly comparable
with those for previous years, the percentage of cases removed
to hospital during 1915 was 84.5, as compared with 82.8, 82.8,
67.9, 54.7 and 31.5 for the five quinquennia 1911-15,1906-10,
1901-5, 1896-1900 and 1891-5, respectively, i.e., since the compulsory
notification of infectious diseases came into force under the
Public Health (London) Act, 1891.
Cerebro-spinal Fever (epidemic Cerebro-spinal Meningitis)
or " Spotted " Fever and Acute Poliomyelitis (Acute
Polioencephalitis.
Particulars as to the cases of cerebro-spinal fever (epidemic
crebro-spinal meningitis) or "spotted" fever, and of acute poliomyelitis
(acute polio-encephalitis) are set out in the Local Government
Board's new Table V. (vide Appendix.)
Smallpox, Cholera, Plague, Typhus, Simple continued or
ill-defined-Fever, Human Glanders or Anthrax or
Hydrophobia.
No genuine cases of smallpox*, cholera, plague, typhus, simple
continued or ill-defined fever, human glanders or anthrax or hydrophobia
were notified during 1915, and no deaths were registered
as having occurred from such diseases.
Whooping Cough.
Whooping cough became compulsorily notifiable throughout the
Borough on January 1st, 1913, by order made by the Borough
Council on October 5th, 1912, and approved by the Local Government
Board on October 31st, 1912. The disease is compulsorily
notifiable by both medical men and parents (or relatives) for a
trial period of five years. The notifications received (a) from
medical men have been as follow :—1913, 1,428; 1914, 1,389; and
•One case of notified smallpox (a sailor) proved to be chickenpox (in the
opinion of the Hospital Authorities).