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Anterior Poliomyelitis. There have been no cases either
of Anterior Poliomyelitis or Acute Polioencephalitis during
the year.
Measles. There were 252 cases of measles—a considerable
drop from previous years since the war. Measles used to
present reliable biennial characteristics, but since the war it
seems to have lost this feature. It is, however, a mild disease
at the present time and one death only was attributed to this
cause.
Whooping Cough. The numbers of cases of Whooping
Cough have also dropped this year, but to a lesser extent, the
figure still being high. Again it is fortunate that the disease
is less formidable than we usually have reason to expect and
it was responsible for three deaths.
Erysipelas. There were 21 notifications of this somewhat
obsolete disease during the year. While regarded as one of
the streptococcal group of diseases allied to Scarlet Fever, its
epidemiological importance has become somewhat obscure.
Puerperal Pyrexia. There were 8 cases of Puerperal
Pyrexia notified, giving a Puerperal Pyrexia rate of 6.8. Of
the 8 cases notified 6 occurred in hospital and 2 were domiciliary
notifications. Since the war the treatment of these cases
has been undertaken for us by the Wandle Valley Hospital;
three of these cases were treated there during the year.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum. There were three cases of
Ophthalmia Neonatorum notified, all were in hospital at the
time of notification. Actually two of the cases were domiciled
in Wimbledon, and in the case which was resident in this
district recovery was complete and vision unimpaired.
Pneumonia. There were 46 cases of Pneumonia notified
of which 5 were stated to be influenzal in origin. This compared
with 27 in the previous year.
Food Poisoning. There were no outbreaks of food poisoning
during the year. There were, however, five cases
apparently unrelated which occurred during the year. In two
of these cases fish paste came under suspicion and in one other
re-heated mutton. There seems to be some intoxication caused
by heating mutton en casserole fashion or stew, as it has come
under suspicion on more than one occasion in investigating
cases of food poisoning. The usual story is that the meat has
been partly cooked the night before and put on again to complete
the cooking in the morning prior to serving.
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