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Ill
Prevalence of, and Control over, Infectious and
other Diseases.
Acute Polio-Myelitis.
One case of acute polio-myelitis was notified during the year. It
occurred in a schoolboy, aged 13 years, who had a severe attack, with
some resulting palsy of his spinal muscles evidenced by scoliosis.
He was subsequently admitted to the Royal National Orthopaedic
Hospital at Stanmore for rest and re-education of his spinal muscles.
Cerebro-Spinal Fever.
Three cases of cerebro-spinal fever were notified in the Borough
during 1935. Two of the cases were in males aged 5 and 22 years,
and one in a girl of 12 years.
Unfortunately two of the cases proved fatal within a few days
of onset of illness, whilst the third case responded to intrathecal
administration of serum, and recovered.
Diphtheria.
During the year there were 62 cases of diphtheria and no deaths,
as compared with 122 cases and 8 deaths in the previous year. The
morbidity rate was 07 per 1,000 of the population. All cases, with
four exceptions, were removed to hospital.
Immunisation.
The campaign directed towards the encouragement of immunisation
against Diphtheria has been further developed during the year.
The practice of immunisation first received active recognition by the
Council in June, 1933, when authority was given for the necessary
material for immunisation to be provided free of charge for use in the
Borough by general medical practitioners. In May, 1934, a further
step was taken when permission was given for free immunisation in
necessitous cases to be carried out at the Toddlers' Clinic.
•In October, 1934, the Council of the Metropolitan Counties
Branch of the British Medical Association passed a resoluiion to the
eifect that facilities for immunisation against diphtheria should be available
to the public through their medical practitioners without