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57
Revisits or follow-up visits were paid to 669 of the patients some
time during the year or early in 1952 with the following results:—
11 had not been confirmed as whooping cough.
In 196 there was no information at the revisit (168 were revisited
once, 26 twice and 2 three times).
In 12 cases the family had moved from the district. In 450 contact
was made (after one, two or occasionally even more attempts) and
from the cards the position found here was as follows:—
In 406 the child had either fully and completely recovered, or, if
the revisit were made fairly shortly after notification, the child was
making a good recovery. In some of these it was specifically noted that
a great improvement had been made after treatment in decompression
apparatus.
In 44 cases the visitor noted that recovery had not been complete
the child might be losing weight, or be still debilitated, or be still
suffering from a cough at night, or merely perhaps that its general health
was only "fairly good." In these cases suitable advice was given which,
in all but the fairly simple, was to take the child back to the private
doctor or to hospital for further medical attention, if in fact this was
not already being given.
Revisits were not made in three cases.
Influenza, pneumonia and bronchitis
At the beginning of the year it seemed possible that a large-scale
epidemic of influenza with its complications of pneumonia and
bronchitis might be on the way, as in two or three weeks the death
rate from such diseases in certain northern towns of the country
exceeded all previous records. The position locally was therefore kept
under close review, but the scare soon subsided. The percentage of
deaths from influenza, pneumonia and bronchitis to all deaths did
increase steadily from 25 to 44, in the first five weeks of the year, but
after remaining at 36 for the next two weeks it rapidly dropped to
almost normal. The worst week was that ending on February 3 when
there were 36 deaths in the group (7 from influenza, 13 from pneumonia
and 16 from bronchitis) out of the total of 82.
Tuberculosis
The position with regard to tuberculosis has undergone a considerable
change in the last year or so compared with what it was only a
few years previously. In this the long-term factor of increased personal
and environmental hygiene must have played a part, but a better
understanding of the disease and of its prevention, particularly by BCG
vaccination, together with remarkable improvements in medical treatment,
have been even more effective. Mass radiography too must be
mentioned for its value in detecting unsuspected foci of infection in the
population. Streptomycin, one of the mould derivatives, in the same
general category as penicillin, has been used in treating certain cases
of tuberculosis for a few years now and has got over most of its teething
troubles, i.e., complications and side effects from the poisonous