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128
Experiments have demonstrated that the virus is present in
the mucous membrane of the nose and pharynx.
Prevalence.—During 1912, eight cases of poliomyelitis were
notified to me, all of which recovered, leaving some permanent
paralysis of muscles. The first case notified during the present
year was on June 7th. This is the first of the series of eight cases
on which the Local Government Board desires my report. Appended
is a list of these cases, with circumstantial details.
The age of the patients were all under 6 years of age; saven were
females and one male. Six of the cases were removed to the Queen's
Hospital for Children, and notified by their Medical Officer. One
case was notified by a local medical practitioner, and removed
soon after to the Eastern Fever Hospital; and one case was notified
by the Medical Officer of the Metropolitan Hospital, Kingsland
Road, where the case had been in attendance as an out-patient
for some days.
Two of the cases were fatal; the other six recovered with some
permanent paralysis of muscles.
No difficulty appears to have arisen in connection with the
diagnosis of the cases; even in the two fatal cases no examination
of the cerebro-spinal fluid appears to have been made.
It will be seen from the details of each case given, that the
source of infection was not ascertained, no contact with previous
cases could be traced and no subsequent case has arisen amongst
the members of the affected families, nor had there been any
intercourse between the members of the respective families.
All precautions considering the characteristics of the disease
were taken to prevent spread of infection.
There are no data available for comparing the present incidence
of this disease in the Borough with that of previous years,