View report page

23
[1937
Acute Poliomyelitis.
One case of this disease was notified during the year, as contrasted with one
in 1936, and six in 1935.
EPIDEMIC CEREBRO-SPINAL MENINGITIS.
Ten cases were notified during the year to the Medical Officer of Health as
against 6 in 1936. During the ten years 1927-36 the cases averaged 8 per annum.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES (LONDON) REGULATIONS, 1927.
Malaria, Dysentery, Acute Primary Pneumonia and Acute Influenzal Pneumonia.
Schedule dealing with Typhus, Relapsing and Enteric Fevers.

DYSENTERY.
39 cases of Dysentery were notified during the year, 34 were bacteriologically
confirmed to be " Sonne " Dysentery, in 4 cases the diagnosis of Dysentery was not
confirmed, and in one case the type of the disease was finally diagnosed as Enteritis.
Of the 34 confirmed cases, 2 occurred in the Royal Northern Hospital, 5 in St. Mary,
Islington, Hospital, 6 in Archway Hospital, and 21 were notified from various
sources (home and other hospitals). All these cases had been carefully watched,
as also had cases of persistent diarrhoea or enteritis in view of a possibility of any
being Typhoid Fever. In connection with dysentery, it may be noted that the
London County Council did not admit cases at once to hospital, but only on the order
of the Medical Officer of Health of the Borough. Two of the cases of dysentery
occurred in a children's Home. This Home did not come under the Child Protection
work as it was one of those exempted by the Home Office, but it had been visited by
the Medical Officer of Health in view of the dysentery cases. It was obvious that
owing to the shortage of hospital accommodation, cases of illness in such a Home
would need largely to be treated there and only such cases as were absolutely
necessary removed to hospital. The dysentery cases were admitted to hospital, but
cases of indefinite diarrhoea or slight enteritis were treated in the Home itself, and
new admissions were stopped.
Two points of interest arose in regard to other illnesses in this Home. There
had been from the end of October, 7 cases notified as Scarlet Fever ; one of these
was a nurse, the remainder being patients between 2½ and 5 years old, of whom one
was found to be a carrier only. These cases arose through some insidious source of
infection which was not traced—perhaps a visitor. This was suspected because the
real re-infections occurred not within a week, but in about a fortnight's time. There
was an interval of over a fortnight without a fresh case, and this small outbreak
ended.