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Two new cases were notified. There was an element of doubt in both diagnoses. One
was an old lady of 80, who recovered completely after a short illness without removal to
hospital. The other, a man of 64, was probably suffering from Senile Dementia. He also
recovered after hospital treatment. Two cases suffering from symptoms of post Encephalitis
were brought to notice and added to our register through their removal to hospital for treatment.
Two acute cases were brought to notice through the Registrar of Deaths, the
diagnoses in these cases having been made after death. There was one death of a patient
aged 22, who was notified to this department in 1924. He had previously had institutional
treatment on several occasions, but failed to respond.
We have, therefore, had four cases of acute and two cases of post Encephalitis
Lethargica notified during the year, and there have been three deaths.
PNEUMONIA.
This disease is a frequent complication of other diseases, such as Measles. When it
occurs in that manner it is not notifiable.
The notifiable forms of Pneumonia are Acute Primary and Acute Influenzal Pneumonia.
There were 193 notifications of the former and 79 of the latter during 1931 (as compared
with 170 and 24 respectively for 1930). There were 202 deaths from all forms of Pneumonia
during the year.
If requested by the medical attendant, a visiting nurse is supplied in necessitous cases
at the cost of the liorough Council. In 1931, 71 cases were nursed under this arrangement
and 1,137 nursing visits were paid.
MALARIA.
One case was notified. This patient contracted Malaria originally in 1928, while on
Service in India. He had one recurrence in 1930 before returning to this country.
DYSENTERY.
Two cases were notified. The first was said to have been associated with a small
epidemic, the other persons affected resided outside the Borough. There was considerable
controversy over the diagnosis, which was not confirmed by any of the several hospitals
to which the cases were sent for treatment.
The second case on investigation was shown to be one of food poisoning and the
doctor concerned agreed to withdraw the notification.
MEASLES AND GERMAN MEASLES.
These diseases were made compulsorily notifiable throughout the country in 1916 under
the Public Health (Measles and German Measles) Regulations, 1915, but were revoked by the
Ministry of Health in 1919. The St. Pancras Borough Council were satisfied as to the value
of notification, and intimated to the Ministry the desire to continue the practice. This was
granted, and notification became compulsory under the Metropolitan Boroughs of Lambeth
and St. Pancras (Measles and German Measles) Regulations, 1920.
Under these Regulations all cases are notifiable by parents and guardians, but only the
first case occurring in an outbreak in a household or institution is notifiable by medical
practitioners, an interval of two months since the last case constituting a new outbreak. The
following details, tables and chart have been prepared by Dr. P. Y. Pritchard, Assistant
Medical Officer, and demonstrate several important and interesting facts about Measles.
Table I. gives the gross figures as regards incidence and deaths. These may be misleading,
and they have therefore been worked out in Table II. as Incidence and Mortality Rates. On
Table III. these calculations are expressed by two graphs.