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acute poliomyelitis. 27
The five "definite" cases comprised 4 in females, aged respectively one year (2 cases), 16
and 19 years, and one male, aged 8 years. One case, that of a female aged 1 year, was reported
(after death) as "Posterior basic meningitis," all the others as " Cerebro-spinal meningitis."
Vermin were reported to be present in two out of the five homes, and one patient had
been reported verminous by the School Authority shortly before the occurrence of his illness.
The duration of the attacks was in each instance very short, as appears from the appended
summary, which also served to indicate the time of year when the cases occurred.
(C. W.) P. E., f., æt. 16, sickn.d 30. xii. .11, died 3. i. .12 (inquest held).
(C. W.) B. G., m., æt. 8, sickn.d 1. i. .12, died 2. i.
(W. W.) D. A., f., æt. 1, sickn.d 8. i., died 11. i.
(W. W.) H. E., f., æt. 19, sickn.d 18. vi., died26.vi.
(VV. W.) A. E., f., æt. 1, sickn.d 30.x., died 3. xi. (not related to the preceding).
Two of the cases occurred in Church Ward (" C. W." above) and the remainder in
Westbourne Ward (" W. W."), but no connection, such as might have been suggested by the
sequence of the earlier cases, could be traced, nor, so far as was ascertained, was there any
spread of infection from the reported cases.
ACUTE POLIOMYELITIS.
This disease, also known as "Acute Polio.encephalitis," first made notifiable in July,
1911, was last year, by Order dated March 9th, permanently placed on the list of notified
diseases. During the past year 6 cases were reported, one case each from Queen.s Park,
Harrow Road, Maida Vale, and Lancaster Gate, West, Wards, and two from Church. Special
inquiries were addressed to the certifying practitioners at the beginning of the current year, and
in each case no doubt was entertained as to the correctness of the original diagnosis, paralysis
being observed in every instance. Two patients were treated at St. Mary.s Hospital, one each at
the Children.s Hospital (Great Ormond Street) and Asylums Board.s Hospital, one at a nursing
home in Marylebone, and one at home. None of the cases ended fatally. The patient reported
in the previous Annual Report (1911) as alive at the end of the year died during 1912 of
intercurrent pulmonary tuberculosis. The appended brief statement shows how the cases were
distributed with regard to sex and age of the patient and the time of year.
(Q. P. W.) B. G., m., æt. 1, sickn.d 29. iii., adm.d S. M. H. 1. iv., dis. 27. iv.
(C. W.) P. P., f., æt. 11, sickn.d 7. v., adm.d M. A. B. 10. v., dis. 19. vii.
(L. G. W. W.) S. H., m., æt. 22, sickn.d 4. v., went to nursing home 11. v.
(C. VV.) W. B., {., æt. 3, sickn.d 25. vi., adm.d S. M. H. 29. vi., dis. 25. vii.
(M. V. W.) M. C., m., æt. 8, sickn.d 7. vii., treated at home.
(H. R. W.) H. W.,f., æt. 4, sickn.d 3. viii., adm.d C. H., G. O. S. 8. vii., dis. (?) 8. x.
The last case was one of some interest. It came to the knowledge of the Department
through a communication received from the Medical Officer of Health of the County of Essex
reporting the death of two children, residents of the Borough, from acute poliomyelitis while on
a visit to a village in that County. Inquiries at the address given led to the discovery of the
child H. W. being in the Great Ormond Street Hospital suffering from " paralysis," to which
institution she had been removed some fifteen days before the inquiries were made. The report
was confirmed by the House Physician at the Hospital, who gave the date of onset of the
disease as August 3rd, the day after the two children mentioned above left London. The
children had been visiting H. W. before going away.
ANIMAL DISEASES.
No cases of anthrax or hydrophobia were reported during the year. Two outbreaks of
glanders among horses stabled in the Borough were reported, but no illness was traced among
the stable hands.