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71
The details of the cases are given below, from particulars kindly supplied by
the hospitals concerned:—
E. A. Male, aged ,'a (Posterior Basic Meningitis). Notified 4th February, District
South 5, in Ward 7:—
Onset with convulsions on 29th January. Admitted to Middlesex Hospital
same evening. Head retracted; legs drawn up; arms and legs stiff;
occasional cries; extensor reflex; tache cerebrate; no fluid on lumbar
puncture; fluid obtained from anterior fontanelle, in which were found
gram-negative intracellular and extracellular diplocci, typical of
meningoccus, which did not grow iu cultures. Anti-meningitis
serum injected through anterior fontanelle. Died 12th February.
R. S. Male, aged 13 ½. Notified 16th February. District East 4 in Ward 6:—
Onset sudden on evening 12th February with vomiting and convulsions.
Taken to London Temperance Hospital early next morning, and died
on evening of that day. Coma; no reflexes; Kernig's sign; marked head
retraction; blurring of discs and engorgement of retinal vessels;
small petechial haemorrhages over abdomen and back, especially on
skin over spine. Meningococci isolated from cerebro-spinal fluid,
which was slightly turbid and under pressure, and showed intracellular
gram-negative diplococci. Post-mortem:—-Engorgement of cerebral
veins. One or two small patches at base of brain, resembling
lymphatic deposits or purulence. Congestion of both lungs and slight
effusion into right pleural cavity.
L. C. Female, aged 2. Notified 19th March. District North 4, in Ward 2:—
Onset on 9th March with headache, followed by vomiting; drowsiness;
some spasticity of limbs; internal strabismus of left eye; slight head
retraction; reflexes increased. Cerebro-spinal fluid turbid and under
pressure, great excess of polymorphonuclear cells; gram-negative
cocci; meningococcus obtained in culture. Admitted to Hampstead
General Hospital 10th March. Recovery, but patient left deaf and
dumb.
There were also 14 deaths during the year certified as due to meningitis
without any qualification showing the nature of the meningitis.
OTHER NOTIFIABLE INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
No case of Small-pox was notified in St. Pancras during 1914. Two cases
were reported in the County of London (exclusive of the Port), one in the City
of London and one in the City of Westminster. Both cases caught the
infection on ship-board.
No case of Typhus was notified in the Borough, though one case (Chelsea)
was reported in the County.
No case of human Anthrax was notified in St. Pancras, though 11 were
reported in different parts of the County of London.
Cholera, Plague, human Glanders, and human Hydrophobia were completely
absent both in the Borough and the County.
Two St. Pancras persons were reported during the year as having been in
contact with a case of small-pox and were kept under observation. Three
groups of persons were also kept under observation who had proceeded to
St. Pancras from ships or ports infected with small-pox, one group from a port