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Scarlet Fever.
The number of cases of this disease notified during 1927 was
666, as compared with 840 in 1926. Of these 589 were removed
to isolation hospitals for treatment. Seventeen of the patients
were found after admission to hospital not to be suffering from
this complaint, and were returned home. The cases nursed at
home were subject to constant supervision by the district Sanitary
Inspectors to ensure that proper precautions for the prevention
of the spread of the disease were being taken.
There were 11 return cases reported, which is a term applied
to a patient who contracts the disease within 28 days after the
release of the original case from isolation.
Careful investigation was made with a view to ascertaining
the source of infection in these cases, but without success.
Dick Test.—As yet no steps have been taken in Camberwell
to employ the Dick test or to provide facilities for conferring
immunity to persons susceptible to scarlet fever. This disease
nowadays is mild in nature and the fatality rate is low. Only
5 deaths occurred in Camberwell last year. Should the virulence
of the disease increase, the question of immunisation treatment
would receive close attention, but there appears to be no
urgent need for its introduction at present.
Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fevers.
Twelve cases of this disease were notified in 1927, and 11 of the
patients were removed to hospital for treatment. The source of
the infection was not definitely traced in any of the cases, but
in three instances the infection was probably contracted abroad,
and in 5 other cases it was found that the patients had eaten
articles of food which might have been responsible for the disease.
There was one death reported from this cause.
Encephalitis Lethargica (Sleepy Sickness).
The most serious aspect of this disease is the development
of sequelæ in the majority of cases, which seriously impair their
mental and physical functions. In some instances the early stage
of the illness is so mild as to pass unrecognised, and it is not
until sequelæ have developed that the discovery that the individual
must have had an attack of encephalitis lethargica is made. All
known cases are followed up and kept under observation.
In the year 1927 eight cases of this disease were notified.
Of these one was found not to be suffering from encephalitis
lethargica. The deaths numbered 3.