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21
ACUTE RHEUMATISM
This widely prevalent disease was made notifiable as from the 1st March, 1927, by virtue
of the Paddington (Acute Rheumatism) Regulations, 1927. Paddington was the first area
in Great Britain to make acute rheumatism notifiable.
The above Regulations remained in force for a year and were extended to March 31st,
1930, from which date the disease, under further Regulations, became permanently notifiable
in the Borough.
During 1931, 37 cases of acute rheumatism were notified. This figure compares with 43
cases in 1930 52 cases in 1929, 76 cases in 1928, and 34 cases for the ten months of the year
1927 during which the disease was notifiable.
Acute rheumatism is defined in the Regulations as being the following conditions, occurring
separately or together in a child under the age of 16 years:—
(1) Rheumatic pains or arthritis, if accompanied by a rise of temperature ;
(2) Rheumatic chorea;
(3) Rheumatic carditis.
The Regulations enjoin the medical officer of health to make such enquiries and take
such steps as are necessary or desirable for investigating the source of disease, for removing
conditions harmful to the patient and arranging for the treatment of the patient.
All these enquiries and any necessary action have been delegated to the "Rheumatism
Supervisory Centre" which was opened at Paddington Green Children's Hospital on October
9th, 1926. During the year 1931 a grant of £150 was made by the Council towards the
cost of the maintenance of the centre.
The objects of this voluntary centre are:—
(1) To meet the need shown by rheumatic cases for careful supervision during periods
of apparent quiescence to prevent the development of heart disease.
(2) To supervise rheumatic children when apparently well by periodical examinations,
and to instruct the parents to consult their usual doctor or hospital should fresh
symptoms of rheumatism develop. Treatment at the Centre itself is only given
in urgent cases.
(3) To instruct parents in the care of rheumatic children and to make investigations
in Paddington into the causation of rheumatism.
The Centre is under the personal supervision of one of the Honorary Physicians to the
Hospital and there is also a salaried medical officer who devotes her whole time to visiting
cases of the disease and making such enquiries as may elucidate the causes thereof.
The work of the Centre lies with children who are suffering from rheumatism in any of its
forms, whether slight or " acute " as defined in the Regulations.
During the year 44 sessions were held, the 152 Paddington children on the register making
335 attendances. Forty-two new cases from Paddington attended the Centre, but of the 37
notified as " acute rheumatism," only 13 attended, including 5 cases notified from the Children's
Hospital. The remaining patients either received treatment in institutions or were under the care
of private medical practitioners.
A full account of the work of the Centre will be found in the Report of the Physicianin-Charge
which appears as an Appendix to this Report. (See page 58).
INFECTIVE ENTERITIS.
This disease is notifiable in some eight other metropolitan boroughs. On May 2nd, 1927,
the Council made the disease known as "Infective Enteritis" or "Summer Diarrhœa"
notifiable for a period of two years. This Order was made by virtue of the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, and is only applicable to children under the age of five years. It was
extended in 1929 for a further period of three years.
Forty cases of the disease were notified during the year.