View report page

11
Instances of patients suffering from the after effects of encephalitis lethargica
who had not been notified during the acute stage continue to come to light by reason
of the need for hospital treatment.
All cases of post-encephalitis lethargica are "followed up " for medical reports
over a number of years through the school medical service or through the cooperation
of the borough medical officers of health; 173 cases were on the " live "
register at the end of the year.
Notifications of poliomyelitis and polioencephalitis numbered 66 ;the diagnosis
was not confirmed in 6 of these. Of the 60 actual cases, 5 proved fatal. In
addition, 7 deaths were recorded by the Registrar-General of cases which had not been
notified, making a total of 12 deaths. Particulars of acute cases admitted to the
Council's Western hospital and of cases admitted, when convalescent, to the
Council's Queen Mary's hospital for children, Carshalton, for treatment of
crippling effects of the acute stage, are given in Vol. IV, Part I, of this Report.
The arrangements for the collection, preparation and distribution of convalescent
poliomyelitis serum, briefly referred to in my last Annual Report, have been
carried out during the intervening period. The poliomyelitis committee, composed
of representatives of the Ministry of Health, Medical Research Council, Lister Institute
and the public health department of the Council, has met on several occasions
to consider reports on progress and to discuss plans for extending the scope of the
investigation.
The chief sources of supply of convalescent blood have been the Royal National
Orthopaedic hospital, London, the Wingfield-Morris Orthopaedic hospital, Oxford,
the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic hospital, Oswestry, St. Vincent's
Orthopaedic hospital, Pinner, and Queen Mary's hospital, Carshalton, but several of
the London voluntary hospitals have contributed small amounts to the common
pool. After collection, the blood is immediately dispatched to the Lister laboratories
at Elstree where the serum is pooled and prepared ready for use. Each batch is
tested experimentally for viricidal potency at the Lister institute, Chelsea, and is
required to attain a given standard before issue.
Small stocks of immune serum in cartons each containing 100 cc. have been
distributed to certain London hospitals for emergency use but the main supply has
been deposited at the Western fever hospital, Fulham, where early or suspected
cases of poliomyelitis are admitted for observation and treatment, and whence
supplies of serum are issued to hospitals, public health authorities and practitioners
for use in appropriate cases. Since the investigation was commenced in December,
1932, serum has been distributed on request to various centres in England and Wales
and in Scotland; at no time has the stock of serum been completely exhausted
although on several occasions it fell to a low level. The co-operation of practitioners
in returning unused ampoules as early as possible, and in advising the Medical
Research Council of poliomyelitis convalescents willing to give blood, greatly assists
in maintaining adequate stocks of serum.
While the number of patients treated with serum so far has been too small to
warrant any conclusion regarding its efficacy, it is hoped, during the next seasonal
prevalence of poliomyelitis, to extend the investigation, provided that sufficient
material is available fnr clinical trial

Poliomyelitis
and
polioencephalitis.
Serum
treatment
of acute
anterior
poliomyelitis