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of measles (particularly in children under 5 years of age) to provide
early nursing assistance in the home where necessary, or to arrange
for the removal of patients to hospital, as complication and deaths
from measles are nearly always due to want of proper medical and
nursing treatment during the first few days of illness.
The importance of this action has been appreciated in Hampstead,
and for many years Measles has been a compulsorily notifiable
disease. In view of this, the operation of the Scheme in Hampstead
was carefully reconsidered during the year and the opinion formed
was that it would appear that the compulsory notification of measles
and the prompt reporting of cases by the Head Teachers is all that is
necessary in the Borough.
Pneumonia.
During the year 44 cases of acute primary pneumonia and 30
cases of acute influenzal pneumonia were notified. In the preceding
year the corresponding figures were 50 and 35.
Of the total deaths from pneumonia, 11 occurred in persons over
45 years of age, and 12 deaths took place in the first four months of
the year.
The age of the patient is the most important factor of mortality.
As in most infectious diseases, the "carrier" plays an important
role, although there is little proof of direct infection either from
"carrier patients" or contacts. It is now generally accepted that
there is a" wide susceptibility to the carrier state but a low susceptibility
to the disease itself."
Scarlet Fever.
During 1932 there were 166 cases of scarlet fever, which represents
a decrease of 2 in the figures given for the previous year. The
large majority (viz., 92 per cent.) of these cases were removed to
hospital. Fortunately the disease continues to be of a mild type; only
2 terminated fatally. There were 19 cases notified from one institution
during the year.
Smallpox.
Only one case of Smallpox occurred in a Hampstead resident.
A case of Smallpox occurred during the year in the person of a female
domestic servant aged 21 years. The patient, who was unvaccinated,
was removed from her Hampstead address to a private isolation