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59
Food poisoning
The number of cases last year formally notified showed a further
drop; however it is unlikely that all, or indeed nearly all, such cases
are notified. As is usual there was a much greater proportion in the
third or fourth quarters of the year (the warmer months) than in the first
two. Each case is investigated as far as possible but in so many instances
all the suspected food has been eaten or perhaps thrown away and it is
relatively rarely that we are able to say with any degree of confidence
how the food itself became infected.
Measles
1958 was an "off peak" year although even so over 800 cases were
notified. They were almost invariably of a very mild degree.
Pneumonia
In spite of the second wave of so-called "Asian Flu" which occurred
at the beginning of the year, the number of cases of pneumonia dropped
from 96 in the previous year to 61 in 1958. Here again it seems
notification is by no means complete, and the number of deaths from
respiratory causes in January and February 1958 indicated that
pneumonia was still a relatively common fatal condition amongst the
elderly.
Scarlet fever
The number of cases of scarlet fever increased from 143 in the
previous year to 210 in 1958. As is usual, school children were the most
affected, particularly those between the ages of 5 and 10 (137 cases).
37 cases were between 3 and 5, and only 18 in the older school children.
Two or three schools were particularly affected, but the disease nowhere
reached epidemic proportions; it was on the whole a mild infection.
Whooping cough
The number of cases at 154 was the lowest for many years past.
Tuberculosis
The number of cases notified decreased a little, but remained disappointingly
high. In fact cases in males increased—from 128 to 137
for pulmonary disease, but this was more than counterbalanced by a
drop in females from 92 to 79. The number of deaths showed a large
drop—from 19 to 12 for males (pulmonary) and from 12 to 6 for
females. These were the lowest figures on record.
The age distribution of the new cases of tuberculosis notified by
formal notifications and the deaths from tuberculosis during the year
are shown in the following table:—