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74
SECTION F
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
General
The Information given in this and the succeeding paragraphs is
based on the total number of cases of the diseases referred to, which
arose in Pinsbury residents and which came to the knowledge of the
department The figures do not correspond with those for notification
which in some cases is directed to another Borough as where
Poliomyelitis for example is notified by a hospital in which the
diagnosis is finally confirmed to the Medical Officer of Health of the
area in which it is situate although the infection arose whilst the
patient was living at home. For this reason the tables do not
correspond with those supplied by the Registrar General.
Even so amended it must be remembered that the locus of infection
is not by any means always in the same district as the residence of
the patient. In the particular instances, however, of food poisoning
outbreaks and infections in day nurseries and schools suitable comments
can sometimes be given in regard to circumstances in this
Borough
In 1953 new regulations superseding those issued in 1927 for the
control of Typhoid Fever, Dysentery and certain other diseases came into
force and the Council authorized the Medical Officer of Health and in
his absence his Deputy to issue notices under them in an emergency
In 1949 when the Metropolitan District Nursing Association who
had until then undertaken the visiting of cases of measles and whooping
cough found that they were unable to continue this service, a
trained nurse with fever experience was appointed as visitor to perform
these duties and the enquiries and investigations in relation to
other infectious diseases until then carried out by the Sanitary
Inspectors The latter however, remain available to assist whenever
problems pertaining to their more peculiar work arise The number
of visits paid by the Infectious Disease Visitor during 1955 was 2,454.
Striking differences have occurred in the nature and character of
infectious diseases in the years since the second World War and consequentially
on the methods required for their control. Diphtheria
has at least for the time being disappeared and Scarlet Fever has
become so mild that it no longer causes any concern except in relation
to women about to be confined and some food handlers. Measles also
has become a milder disease and complications arising from it are
rare Gastro enteritis in babies is much less common than formally
and although still a serious disease is not so frequently fatal also
it occurs uniformly throughout the year and the incidence is not
necessarily greatest in the summer months