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8 before and 9 during the war, with maxima of 24 in 1918 and 20 in 1927
and 1943.
In addition 1 or 2 children under 2 years of age usually die each year
from diarrhoea.
Apart from the death returns the only information as to the presence
of outbreaks of non-notifiable infectious disease is obtained from the
returns from the nurseries and public elementary schools. As judged by
these there was fairly extensive chicken pox in Sanderstead in January,
and in Purley and Old Coulsdon in the Autumn, and a number of cases
of mumps in Kenley in the Spring and in Sanderstead in the Autumn.
Only 1 case of infective jaundice and 3 cases of ringworm were notified,
the latter being scattered cases, 1 in the Spring and 1 each at Old Coulsdon
and Kenley in October/November.
Home visitation and exclusion from school are still the two chief
methods relied upon to prevent or postpone the onset of the abovementioned
diseases until the most favourable age is reached at which
they can be withstood.
Treatment in the Isolation Hospital is provided when required owing
to social or physical complications being present, but only 1 case of
German measles and 2 of influenza were so admitted in 1946. In addition
some cases may have been admitted to the County Hospitals but of these
no records are available.
INFESTATIONS.
(a) Scabies.

It is hoped that, as occurred after the war of 1914-1918, the steady
decline in the prevalence of this disease already observable will be maintained.
Theoretically the disease could be abolished quickly, but in practice
its diagnosis is often delayed and not easy, while the interval of about
5 weeks which occurs between infection and the development of symptoms,
and the difficulties in obtaining the treatment of non-co-operative families
25