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66
With reference to the 40 St. Pancras cases, the births were attended us follows:—By
medical practitioners, 7 ; by midwives, 10; by medical students, 14 ; hospital (in-patients), 9.
ENCEPHALITIS LETHARGICA.
Eleven cases were notified and two other cases came to knowledge during the year.
On further investigation five of the notified cases were found to have been incorrectly diagnosed.
There were therefore eight genuine new cases during the year. Of these four have
died, one is receiving treatment in an institution, one has been lost sight of, two have made a
satisfactory recovery and were well when recently visited. One case, notified in 1925, died
during 1926, making a total of five deaths from this disease during the year.
PNEUMONIA.
This disease is a frequent complication of other diseases, but when occurring in this
way is not notifiable.
The notifiable forms of Pneumonia are Acute Primary and Acute Influenzal Pneumonia.
218 cases of the former and 60 of the latter were notified during the year. If requested bv
the medical attendant, a visiting nurse is supplied in necessitous cases at the cost of the Borough
Council. During the year 65 cases were nursed under this arrangement, 873 nursing visits
being paid.
MALARIA.
Two cases were notified ; in both instances the disease had been contracted abroad. One
of the cases proved fatal. Two other deaths were registered as having been due to Malaria,
but neither of these cases had been notified.
DYSENTERY.
Two cases were notified. In each instance the cause of the disease proved to be
Flexner's Bacillus. This germ is a fairly common cause of Dysentery in this country, and
the infection may be spread by persons who are " carriers," and who do not show any
symptoms of the disease.
Four deaths due to Dysentery, of eases which had not been notified, were also reported.
MEASLES AND GERMAN MEASLES.
These diseases are compulsorily notifiable in St. Pancras under Special Regulations
sanctioned in 1920. All cases are notifiable by parents or guardians, but only the first case
occurring in a house during an outbreak is notifiable by the medical attendant. An interval of
two months since the previous case constitutes a fresh outbreak. From 1916 to 1919 inclusive
these diseases were notifiable throughout the whole of England and Wales ; but at the end
of the year 1919 notification was abandoned by order of the Ministry of Health. In a few
districts, St. Pancras being one, notification was retained by means of a special local regulation.
During the year 3,734 cases of Measles and 143 of German Measles were notified.
Sixty-five deaths were registered as having been due to Measles and one to German Measles.
Measles was very prevalent during the first four months of the year, and the type of
the disease was somewhat severe.
The services of a nurse were provided in all cases where this was desired by the medical
attendant. 371 cases were admitted to hospital; these were usually cases where the home
conditions were unsuitable. The death-rate from Measles was particularly high in Ward 6,
in which is situated the Somers Town area.