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18 REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH FOR 1954
Influenza
The number of deaths from Influenza was 23 compared with
64 in 1953, 26 in 1952 and 122 in 1951.
Influenzal Pneumonia and Acute Primary Pneumonia
These are the notifiable forms of pneumonia.
Ninety-eight cases of acute influenzal pneumonia and 171 cases of
acute primary pneumonia were notified. Fourteen of the former,
and 34 of the latter died.
The total number of deaths credited to all forms of pneumonia
during the year was 192, compared with 261 in 1953.
Malaria
Two cases were notified. One, a soldier, was a recurrent case, and
the other was the wife of a Pakistan Army Captain, and had recently
arrived in this country from Pakistan.
Erysipelas
Fifty-eight cases were notified. One death occurred.
Other Infective Diseases
Twenty-one deaths occurred from syphilis.
Scabies
Forty-two cases were notified.
Eighty-one cases of scabies were treated at the Council's Cleansing
Station under the supervision of the two bathing attendants. The
majority of the cases were treated by two applications of benzyl
benzoate and received a course of two baths each. Fourteen other
persons received cleansing treatment for various conditions.
Food Poisoning
One hundred and twenty-four formal notifications were received
during the year. One hundred and two were unrelated cases and 12
were outbreaks involving two or more persons.
The majority of the single cases were only slightly affected and
where bacteriological investigation was carried out, organisms likely
to have caused the illness were discovered in only 4 cases. The
organism isolated was Salmonella typhimurium.
In 11 of the outbreaks reported it was not possible to identify the
causative agent and in the remaining one, which affected 73 persons
at a factory in the Borough, the organism Clostridium welchii was
isolated.
Full reports on the major outbreaks were submitted to the Ministry
of Health in accordance with Circular 46/49 and revised Memo.
188/Med.