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18 REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH FOR 1960
Puerperal Pyrexia
During the year 87 cases were notified, of which 83 occurred in
hospital and four at home. Twenty-seven of the hospital notifications
referred to patients whose home addresses were outside the borough.
Information was also received of 30 cases, referring to Wandsworth
residents whose confinements took place in hospitals located in other
Metropolitan boroughs.
Sonne Dysentery
Investigation and systematic follow-up of all cases of dysentery, in
which general practitioners co-operated fully with the Health Department,
continued throughout the year and where it was considered
necessary, stool specimens were obtained from family contacts for
bacteriological examination.
The bulk of the cases investigated were single unrelated cases and
minor outbreaks occurred in only two instances during the early part
of the year. In the first of these outbreaks, at one of the schools in
the borough, 36 cases occurred and a total of 172 stools specimens
bacteriologically examined. The second outbreak involved seven cases
in a day nursery and a total of 42 stools specimens were examined
before clearance.
The figure of 315 cases finally arrived at for the year does not
reflect fully the amount of work involved in visiting and following
up. Many other suspected cases were investigated but a number of
these proved negative on bacteriological examination.
In 1959 there were 403 cases.
Influenza, Acute Influenzal Pneumonia and Acute Primary Pneumonia
Acute influenzal pneumonia and acute primary pneumonia are
the notifiable forms of pneumonia and in 1960 the number notified,
15 of the former and 124 of the latter, shows a considerable drop in
numbers of the first type, as compared with the number notified in
the previous year.
Deaths attributable to acute influenzal pneumonia were correspondingly
low, the number being four; this figure is classified under
influenza in the death table on page 12.
Acute primary pneumonia accounted for 26 deaths, making a total
of 301 deaths for all forms of pneumonia compared with 358 in 1959.