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97
WHOOPING COUGH
This disease became notifiable in London from 1st October, 1938, in respect of the first case
in a house within a period of two months and to the end of the year 17 notifications were received.
It is hoped that notification will ensure the proper treatment of an illness that too often tends to be
neglected by parents.
PUERPERAL FEVER
Five cases of puerperal fever were notified, the incidence being equal to 2.47 per thousand of
the registered births (live and still). One death from sepsis was recorded.
PUERPERAL PYREXIA
Thirty-five cases were notified during the year compared with twenty-five during 1937. The
incidence per thousand registered births (live and still) was 17.8 compared with 12.4.
CONSULTANT
The services of Mr. Alexander Galletly are available for the purpose of consultation with
private practitioners in cases of puerperal fever or pyrexia and also difficult obstetrical cases. During
the year he was called in to see one case.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM
During the year 18 cases were notified, being one less than during 1937 and giving an attack
rate of 9.19 per thousand of the registered live births. The District Nursing Association paid 73
visits to two of the cases at the expense of the Council and nine of the other cases were admitted to
hospital. The following Table shows the result of the cases:—
Cases in which vision was unimpaired 1
„ „ „ impaired1
Still under treatment at the end of the year 1
Died 2
Removed from the district, condition unknown 1
EPIDEMIC DIARRHCEA
This disease was again fairly prevalent, a total of 72 cases being notified compared with 104
last year. More than half the cases (46) occurred in the first six months of the year and were in
continuation of the mild epidemic which I noted in my report for last year as occurring in London
in the autumn of 1937. Sixty-one of the cases occurred in children under two years of age, the
remaining eleven all being in children between two and five years of age.
CEREBRO-SPINAL MENINGITIS
Six cases were notified during the year, exactly half the number occurring during 1937. One
was an infant of eleven months, one an infant aged two years, two children aged five years, one a female
aged thirty-three and the other a female aged forty-seven. Three deaths were recorded as occurring
from this disease; two were in infants under one year and one of one year of age.
ENCEPHALITIS LETHARGICA AND POLIOMYELITIS
No cases of encephalitis were notified during the year, but six cases of poliomyelitis were
notified in the autumn. The following up of cases of these diseases which have received treatment in
previous years is undertaken by the woman sanitary inspector and during the year she paid 30 visits
to post-encephalitis cases and 32 visits to post-poliomyelitis cases.