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28
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
1.—Notifiable Diseases.
Under the Compulsory Notification Clauses of the Public
Health (London) Act, 1891, and the Orders and Regulations
made thereunder, 3,128 cases of infectious diseases (excluding tuberculosis)
were reported, including encephalitis lethargica acuta 2,
malaria 4, acute primary pneumonia 169, acute influenzal
pneumonia 55, cerebro-spinal fever 7*, poliomyelitis acuta 10t,
ophthalmia neonatorum 60, measles 1,103, and German measles 147.
These 3,128 cases occurred in 2,773 infected houses, and, of the
3,128 cases, 1,671, i.e., 53.4 per cent., were removed to hospital,
and 1,457, i.e., 46.5 per cent., remained under treatment in their
homes. If the recently-added notifiable diseases be excluded so
as to make the 1923 figures strictly comparable with those for
previous years, the percentage of ordinary infectious diseases cases
removed to hospital during 1923 was 91.3 as compared with
85.0, 82.8, 82.8, 67.9, 54.7, and 31.5 for the six quinquennia
1916-20, 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—a
satisfactory record.
Full statistics of all the compulsorily notifiable infectious
diseases are to be found in tabular form.
Smallpox.
No case of smallpox was recorded officially, but many smallpox
" contacts " (with cases outside the Borough) have been reported
and watched during the usual incubation period of the disease
(14 days). Several suspicious cases were reported unofficially but
were found not to be smallpox on inspection.
Measles and German Measles.
These diseases still remain compulsorily notifiable throughout
the Borough under the terms of the Public Health (Measles and
German Measles) Temporary Regulations, 1919, which came into
force on December 31st, 1919, continuing in force in certain Districts
(set out in the Schedule) the provisions of the Public Health
(Measles and German Measles) Regulations, 1915, until (in the
case of the Borough of Lambeth) March 31st, 1920, and since, by
further Order of the Ministry of Health. These temporary Regulations
were necessary on account of the issuing of the Public Health
(Measles and German Measles) Regulations, 1915, Rescission Order,
1919, rescinding the Public Health (Measles and German Measles)
Regulations, 1915, as from December 31st, 1919.
Every case of Measles and German Measles, when notified
is officially visited and such precautionary measures are taken
in connection therewith as may be found necessary, including,
in the case of both Measles and German Measles, the
systematic exclusion of non-protected contact children (i.e., children
who have not previously had the disease) and all contact children
under 5 years of age from schools, or, if desirable, the closing of an
* Including 3 cases of post-basic meningitis.
† Including 1 case of polio-encephalitis acuta.