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INFECTIOUS DISEASES
The year 1952 has been free from any outbreaks of serious epidemic
disease. Measles, whooping-cough, poliomyelitis, dysentery, acute
pneumonia, food poisoning, puerperal pyrexia, all had a lower incidence
than in 1951. Scarlet fever and erysipelas and paratyphoid fever (2
cases) were the only infectious diseases which showed a slight increase
on the previous year's figures. Single cases of typhoid and meningococcal
infection occurred. Of the two poliomyelitis cases only one suffered
residual paralysis. No case of diphtheria occurred.
Although there has been a slight increase in notification of scarlet
fever cases during 1952, the disease has been very mild and complications
few. With advances in therapy the complications of this disease are
seldom serious. House disinfection by fumigation and sealing of rooms,
hitherto obligatory, is not now generally carried out unless requested
by the patient or his doctor.
The introduction of the combined whooping-cough and diphtheria
immunisation during 1952 means that a baby aged six months can now
be given protection in three injections instead of five or six. This new
scheme is very popular with the mothers and an increase is expected in
the percentage of immunised children during 1953.
Thirteen cases of food poisoning were notified during the year and
ten were confirmed. Five were due to salmonella typhi-murium, one
to salmonella enteriditis and one to salmonella montevideo. In three
cases the cause was unknown. Five persons were admitted to hospital
one of whom died on the day of admission from an infection of
salmonella montevideo.
DIPHTHERIA IMMUNISATION
Immunisation is carried out by most general practitioners in the
borough and in addition regular sessions are held at the welfare centres.
The immunisation of children attending schools and day nurseries is
also encouraged and special arrangements are made from time to time.
During the year, 1,115 children under 15 years of age were immunised
for the first time and 852 received "booster" injections generally on
school entrance. By the end of the year 9,722 Hornsey children under
the age of 15 years had received a course of immunisation at some time
during their lives but this figure is little more than 50 per cent, of the
child population and improvement is still desirable.
Again there was no case of diphtheria in Hornsey during the year.
Three persons were admitted to hospital but after observation were
found to be suffering from tonsillitis.
It is now eleven years since a Hornsey resident died from diphtheria
and during that time the numbers of deaths in England and Wales have
decreased steadily from 2,641 in 1941 to 31 in 1952. During that time
the lives of some 10,000 children have been saved representing the
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