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35
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
1.—Notifiable Diseases.
Under the Compulsory Notification Clauses of the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, and the Orders and Regulations made thereunder,
7,32 1 cases of infectious diseases (excluding tuberculosis) were reported,
including encephalitis lethargica acuta 14, malaria 6, acute primary
pneumonia 108, acute influenzal pneumonia 114,cerebro-spinal fever 6*,
poliomyelitis acuta 6+, ophthalmia neonatorum 53, measles 5149, and
German measles 223. These 7,321 cases occurred in 6,401 infected
houses, and, of the 7,321 cases, 1,873, i.e., 25 6 per cent., were removed
to hospital, and 5,448, i.e., 74 4 per cent., remained under treatment in
their homes. If the recently-added notifiable diseases be excluded so
as to make the 1926 figures strictly comparable with those for previous
years, the percentage of ordinary infectious diseases cases removed to
hospital during 1926 was 93 0, as compared with 91.8 the previous
quinquennium 1921-25, and 85.0, 82 8, 82.8, 67.9, 54 7, and 315 for
the six quinquennia 1916-20, 1911-15, 1906-10, 1901-5, 1896-1900 and
1891-5, respectively, i.e., since the compulsory notification of infectious
diseases came into force under the Public Health (London)
Act, 1891— a satisfactory record.
Full statistics of all the compulsorily - notifiable infectious diseases
are to be found in tabular form.
Smallpox.
One case of small-pox (a woman, 42 years of age) was notified
officially at 25, Johanna Street, and the usual precautionary measures
were taken. The source of infection (which proved fatal to the
patient) was traced to a hotel in St. Marylebone, where such patient
worked as a charwoman ,and where, during work, she came into contact
with an unrecognised case of small.pox (contracted in Paris). In
addition, many smallpox "contacts" (in connection with cases outside
the Borough) have been reported and kept under observation during
the usual incubation period of the disease (14 days) Fortunately, no
*Including 1 case of post.basic meningitis.
†lncluding 1 case of polio.encephalitis acuta.
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