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82
ENCEPHALITIS LETHARGICA.
The London County Council offers Institutional treatment in the Special Wards at
Winchmore Hill Hospital for these cases, and for those patients who develop post Encephalitic
symptoms. This treatment has lately been extended to include adults as well as children.
An annual survey is now made of all notified cases. In this manner close contact is
maintained with each case., sometimes over a number of years, or until we are satisfied that
there are no complications due to the Encephalitis. If at any time the patient shows signs
of some complication, treatment is advised immediately and this generally takes the form of the
special Institutional care described above.
At the end of 1932 there were eight cases from this Borough receiving treatment at
Winchmore Hill Hospital. Six cases revisited under the routine were considered to
require Institutional treatment, but they refused the offer. Three other cases were advised to
have special medical attention owing to some slight relapse or bad report. Eight cases were
considered to have shown marked improvement or complete recovery. One case which
was notified in 1925 died, but the death was allocated to Cerebral Hæmorrhage. Two cases
were brought to notice through death reports. They were not notified before death. These
were the only additional cases of Encephalitis Lethargica during 1932.
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 178 notifications of the former and 68 of the latter during 1932 (as compared
with 193 and 79 respectively for 1931). There were 185 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 Borough Council. In 1932, 38 cases were nursed under this arrangement
and 806 nursing visits were paid.
MALARIA.
Four cases of Malaria came to our notice during the year.
Case A was notified under the Infectious Diseases (London) Regulation, 1927. The
patient was an inmate of the Claybury Mental Hospital and was suffering from General
Paralysis of the Insane. Malaria was induced for therapeutic purposes, and at first he
responded with great promise. He was discharged from hospital for a month's trial at home,
and in compliance with the above regulation the case was reported to this authority.
Unfortunately the man relapsed shortly after returning home and had to be sent back to
Claybury.
Case B was a similar case under treatment in a special Hospital in this district. It
was not notified and only became known through the death returns.
Case C was a man who had recently returned from Africa, where he had had several
attacks of Malaria. He was treated in the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, which is situated in
this Borough, but the Notification was forwarded to the Sanitary Authority of his place of
residence.
Case D was only known on death and no details were obtainable. The man had no
fixed abode or relatives.