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93
SECTION F
Prevalence of, and control over, infectious and
other Diseases.
During the year under review, additional legislation in respect
of infectious and other diseases was provided by:—
(a) Public Health (Leprosy) Regulations, 1951.—-The responsibility
for the enforcement of these regulations lies with the Local
Authority, and, briefly these regulations, which came into operation
on 22nd June, 1951, require every medical practitioner who is
attending or who is called in to visit a person suffering from Leprosy
to notify the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health of the
particulars of the case.
This method of notification is a departure from the normal
procedure regarding infectious diseases, but it follows that if such
a patient is notified directly to the Chief Medical Officer the local
Medical Officer of Health will be unaware of a case in his area. In
these circumstances, it is difficult to see how the Local Authority
will be able to discharge its responsibility as laid down in the
regulations. Happily, as cases are very rare in the area this objection
is largely academic.
The causal agent of Leprosy is the mycobacterium leprae, a type
of bacillus closely resembling that of Tuberculosis, and although
cases do occur from time to time in England, this disease is mainly
one of tropical and sub-tropical countries.
It is generally agreed that infection is spread by bacilli from
lesions or nasal secretions entering bruises, cuts or insect bites,
etc., and consequently the disease is communicable only by intimate
personal contact and is usually found among primitive people
living in overcrowded and unhygienic conditions.
(b) Puerperal Pyrexia Regulations, 1951. Under these regulations,
which became operative on 1st August, 1951, the Puerperal
Pyrexia Regulations, 1939, and the Public Health (Notification of
Puerperal Fever and Puerperal Pyrexia) Regulations, 1926, in so
far as they were still in force, were revoked. However, this
Statutory Instrument continues to demand the notification of
Puerperal Pyrexia by medical practitioners, although it does vary
the definition of "Pyrexia." Now, Puerperal Pyrexia means any
febrile condition occurring in a woman in whom a temperature of
100.4°F. or more has occurred within 14 days after childbirth or