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INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
1. —Notifiable Diseases.
Under the Compulsory Notification Clauses of the Public
Health (London) Act, 1891, and the Orders and Regulations
made thereunder, 6,567 cases of infectious diseases (excluding tuberculosis)
were reported, including the newly notifiable cerebro-spinal
fever, 38 ; polio-myelitis acuta, 12 ; ophthalmia neonatorum, 83 ;
whooping cough, 1,576 ; measles, 2,548, and German measles, 1,212.
These 6,567 cases occurred in 5,453 infected houses, and of the 6,567
cases 1,324, i.e., 20.2 per cent., were removed to hospital, and 5,243
i.e., 79.8 per cent., remained under treatment at their homes. If
the newly notifiable diseases be excluded so as to make the 1916
figures strictly comparable with those for previous years, the percentage
of cases removed to hospital during 1916 was 86-9, as
compared with 82.8, 82.8, 67.9, 54.7 and 31 .5 for the five quinquennia
1911-15, 1906-10, 1901-5, 1896-1900 and 1891-5, respectively,
i.e., since the compulsory notification of infectious diseases
came into force under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891.
Cerebro-spinal Fever (epidemic Cerebro-spinal Meningitis)
or " Spotted " Fever and Acute Poliomyelitis (Acute
Polioencephalitis).
Particulars as to the cases of cerebro-spinal fever (epidemic
cerebro-spinal meningitis) or " spotted " fever, and of acute poliomyelitis
(acute polio-encephalitis) are set out in the Local Government
Board's new Table V. (vide Appendix).
Smallpox, Cholera, Plague, Typhus, Simple continued or
ill-defined-Fever, Human Glanders, Anthrax,
and Hydrophobia.
No genuine cases of smallpox*, cholera, plague, typhus, simple
continued † or ill-defined fever, human glanders, anthrax or hydrophobia
were notified, and no deaths were registered as having
occurred from such diseases.
Whooping Cough.
Whooping cough became compulsorily notifiable throughout the
Borough on January Ist, 1913, by order made by the Borough
Council on October sth, 1912, and approved by the Local Government
Board on October 31st, 1912. The disease is compulsorily
notifiable by both medical men and parents (or relatives) for a
trial period of five years.
* One doubtful smallpox case (soldier) proved to be chickenpox, and one
doubtful continued fever case (child) proved to be influenza.