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77
The following is a summary of the work in visiting infectious
diseases carried out during the year, which is in addition to the visits
paid by the sanitary inspectors referred to in table 24.:—

Infantile paralysis
The Infantile Paralysis Fellowship carries out much helpful work
amongst patients who have suffered from paralytic poliomyelitis. A letter
was received from the secretary of its Pilot Youth Club Committee
stating that the IPF was forming an experimental youth club in
London to cater for the teenage poliomyelitis cases, the maximum
age being 25 years. The membership of the IPF has increased greatly
in children up to 14 years of age, but it has been found difficult to
persuade patients between the ages of 14 and 25 years to become
members, and the secretary of the youth club asked whether the
Fellowship could be supplied with a list of such patients in this area,
or whether the Fellowship could be helped in any other way by
publicity being given to their work. The club envisaged will be run
by the young people themselves with guidance from headquarters and
will be, as far as possible, run on the lines of an ordinary youth club.
Approach to persons who are physically incapacitated has to be
undertaken very tactfully. It was felt however that the IPF could do
a great deal to help such persons to lead a normal life and that it would
be desirable to encourage them to join the projected club. With the
approval of the health committee, a letter was sent to possible members
(some 24 being known to the health department) enclosing a leaflet
describing the aims of the IPF and the proposed club, so that any
patient who cared to join could approach the organisation direct.
Dysentery
This disease continued its erratic progress, the number of cases
reported, though large by comparison with years prior to 1951, being
only about half those of 1951. It remained a mild condition. Investigation
was made in most cases of family contacts and this was instrumental
in bringing several other cases to light. During the year a special
investigation was started by the London boroughs in cooperation with
the county council (who are interested especially because of their
children's homes) and it remains to be seen whether this investigation
will be able to suggest more effective methods of control.