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35
ACUTE POLIO-MYELITIS.
The above disease was made notifiable in London by order of the London CountyCouncil
duly approved by the Local Government Board. The order came into operation
for six months as from and including 1st September, 1911. This disease is an
affection of the nervous system, of an infectious nature, but it is not yet definitely
understood how infection is disseminated. An attack may be mild ending in complete
recovery. It may be rapidly fatal. In many cases, however, the patients recover,
but with permanent injury to the nervous system resulting in more or less paralysis
of the muscles. The legs and arms are usually affected, and the disease is the common
cause of paralysis in children. It is, however, not confined to childhood, and cases
may be met with amongst persons well on in life. Two cases were certified, one in
a child a year old, and the other in a woman, the wife of a carman, 31 years old.
There were, however, grounds for believing that the latter was not a case of the
disease. In the Metropolis some 69 cases were certified.
GLANDERS, ANTHRAX, HYDROPHOBIA.
No cases of the above diseases in human beings were certified in Shoreditch
during the year. In London there were two or three cases of anthrax certified.
Three intimations were received from the veterinary inspector of the London County
Council as to the presence of glanders amongst horses on three premises in the Borough.
The steps as to disinfection are taken under the supervision of the veterinary inspector.
The usual enquires were made by the sanitary officers. No evidence was
obtained affording any reason for believing that there had been any transmission
of infection to human beings.
CHOLERA.
No intimations under the cholera regulations were received during the year
relative to persons arriving in this Borough from localities abroad where cholera
was present.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND SCHOOLS.
In the following table are set forth the numbers of children belonging to Shoreditch
who were suffering from infectious diseases or were residing in houses in which
infectious diseases existed, concerning whom intimations of exclusion from school
were received from the head teachers of the schools they attended in accordance
with the requirements of the school management code of the London County Council:—
c 2