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9
Ophthalmia Neonatorum. All of the 27 notifications of
ophthalmia neonatorum related to hospital confinements. Nineteen
of these were patients whose home address was outside the
Borough of Hampstead. In none of the 8 Hampstead cases was
the vision impaired and the final report in each case was
satisfactory.
Pneumonia. Notifications of pneumonia, 48, have remained
fairly constant over the last 5 years. There were 5 deaths.
Twenty-one of the cases and all of the 5 deaths occurred during
the period of the influenza epidemic, September to November.
Poliomyelitis. Four cases of non-paralytic poliomyelitis and
11 cases of paralytic poliomyelitis occurred.
The non-paralytic cases occurred in 3 children each
aged 5 years, and one woman aged 28 years. One of the children
had been in contact with a case of paralytic poliomyelitis.
Six of the paralytic cases occurred in children under
4 years of age, the remaining 5 cases being adults aged 22,
28, 32, 35 and 41. Three of the children had been in contact
with each other at a day nursery.
In addition to the above, 9 cases were admitted to
hospital as suspected poliomyelitis but were finally diagnosed
as suffering from other illnesses; 4 were found to be influenza,
2 tonsillitis, 2 pneumonia and 1 influenzal meningitis. One
other case at first notified as poliomyelitis (not admitted to
hospital) was subsequently found to be a recurrence of a
rheumatic condition.
Puerperal Pyrexia. There were 85 notifications, all relating
to hospital patients, but of these 59 patients lived outside
Hampstead. In addition, we were informed of 33 cases of
Hampstead residents whose confinement took place in hospitals
outside Hampstead. The actual number of cases occurring in
Hampstead residents were therefore 59. Very little information
is available concerning the causes of the pyrexia. Of the 118
cases brought to our notice in only 67 was a probable cause of
infection indicated. The chief causes were uterine infection
25, and urinary infection 15. Ten cases were attributed to
respiratory infection, pneumonia or influenza.