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586
during the year, and Nurse Ager paid only a few visits to infected
homes.
The arrangements made in 1919 for providing the services of a
visiting nurse in connection with cases of Measles, Whooping Cough,
Summer Diarrhoea and Ophthalmia, occurring amongst infants
and young children, proved very useful during the year. It is,
however, certain that during a severe epidemic of Measles or
Whooping Cough the arrangement with a nurse who is already
undertaking other nursing duties will not suffice, and on these
occasions, it will be necessary to provide temporarily an additional
nurse.
ENCEPHALITIS LETHARGICA.
This disease, with its high attack-rate, independence of season,
and preference for certain age periods, cannot be identified with
certainty by bacteriological examination. The infection is given
off from the upper respiratory tract. Certainly, in our town
population there appears to be as little prospect of checking infection
by any practical measures as in the case of Measles, but with both
diseases it is possible to reduce mortality by a careful regard to the
grave risks of complications.
After the sufferer appears to have recovered, or to be approaching
complete recovery from this disease, serious alterations in the
nervous system may appear and these may slowly increase or
diminish over a period of several years. These after-effects may
take the form of mental and moral impairment, and such cases call
for special educational and disciplinary provisions.
The provision of 100 beds for cases of post-Encephalitis Lethargica,
recently made by the Metropolitan Asylums Board, will help
to meet a very real need.
The one case notified in Stoke Newington during 1925 had a
fatal termination.