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20
Diseases Authority for Notification
Relapsing Fever Public Health (London) Act, 1936—Sections 192 and 304.
Scabies County of London (Scabies) Regulations, 1943.
Scarlet Fever Public Health (London) Act, 1936—Sections 192 and 304.
Smallpox Do.
Tuberculosis Public Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1952.
Typhoid Fever Public Health (London) Act, 1936—Sections 192 and 304.
(Including Paratyphoid)
Typhus Fever Do.
Whooping Cough County of London (Measles and Whooping Cough)
Regulations, 1938 to 1948.
For each of the above a fee of 2/6d. is payable by the Local Authority to the medical
practitioner if the case occurs in his private practice, or 1/- if the case occurs in his practice
as medical officer of a public body or institution.
Notifications
During the year 148 cases of infectious disease were notified, of which 50 were removed
to hospital. These are tabulated in the age groups (see Table No. 6, page 22). Comparative
figures of infectious disease for the years 1929-1958 are also shown (see Table No. 7,
pages 24 and 25).
Diphtheria
Six cases were notified and were removed to hospital. One of these was rediagnosed
"acute exudative tonsillitis."
The remaining five notifications arose out of an "incident" involving children
attending three schools in the E.C.1 district (Compton, Moreland and St. Catherine
Labouré—of which the latter only is in this Borough). Numerous examinations of school
and play contacts were made by the London County Council School Health Service, and
the germs of diphtheria were found in the throats of these five children living in Holborn,
chiefly on the Bourne Estate. These were dealt with by the School Health Service.
Ultimately, the five notified Holborn cases were discharged from hospital, and four of
them were rediagnosed as tonsillitis occurring in a diphtheria carrier, leaving one case,
the final diagnosis of which was "Diphtheria (tonsillar and nasal)."
Bacteriologically, the strain was described as a virulent "mitis" variety, and it is
interesting to note that although some twenty children from the three schools involved
were admitted to hospital, only two showed anything like a typical diphtheritic throat,
and neither of them was seriously ill.
Dysentery
Thirty cases were notified, and five were removed to hospital. Nineteen cases were
the result of an outbreak of Shigella sonnei infection in the Kingsway Creche involving
fourteen children and five staff. Numerous swabs were taken and examined by the
Central Laboratory, County Hall, the positive cases being excluded from the Creche
under care of their own doctors until three consecutive negative specimens had been
produced. Only one of the nineteen persons involved went to hospital, and this child,
one of the early cases, was subsequently discharged as "Bacillary dysentery (Sonne)
Contact carrier."
Enteric Fever
No cases were notified during the year.
Erysipelas
One case was notified and was treated at home.