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Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
55
The number notified is the highest recorded since the notification
of the disease was made compulsory in 1907.
Of the total number notified, 18 were on further inquiry found
not to have suffered from cerebro-spinal fever, leaving only 35
actual cases, while of this latter number four were cases notified
from a Military hospital.
Of the 31 cases which properly belonged to the Borough, five
were in Clapham, one in Putney, nine in Streatham, three in Tooting,
and 13 in Wandsworth.
Of the 18 cases wrongly diagnosed, in 10 the true diagnosis was
not reported from the hospital, two were cases of posterior-basic
meningitis and both died, one a case of tubercular meningitis which
proved fatal, one of lobar pneumonia which was fatal, one of cerebral
thrombosis which was fatal, while three were contacts in whose
nasal secretion the germ had been found, but none of them developed
any clinical symptoms of the disease.
With regard to the age of the patients, five were under one
year, seven from one and under five years, nine from five and under
fifteen years, seven from 15 and under 25 years, one 25 and under
35 years, and two from 45 and under 65 years. The greatest
incidence of the disease was from five and under 15 years.
With regard to confirmation of the diagnosis by examination
of the cerebro-spinal fluid removed by lumbar puncture, of the 31
cases, 20 were so examined, and of these 16 gave positive and four
negative results.
All the four cases from the Military hospital were also examined
and all were positive.
The mortality from epidemic Cerebro-spinal Meningitis is
always high, and it is not surprising that of the 31 cases, 19 or 61.2
per cent, died (four in Clapham, one in Putney, seven in Streatham,
two in Tooting, and five in Wandsworth).