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case, a baby aged one year, living in Paddington, the diagnosis was confirmed by
inquest and bacteriological examination, but no light was thrown on the source of
infection.
No cases of plague or cholera occurred in London during 1926.
No cases of typhus fever occurred in London during 1926.
Plague and
cholera.
Typhus
fever
During the year 1926 there were 93 cases of cerebro-spinal fever notified, of
which 16 were not regarded as genuine cases. Of the 77 actual notified cases, 54
(70 per cent.) proved fatal. In addition, 23 fatal cases which had not been notified
under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, were discovered through the Registrar
General's death returns, making a total of 100 actual cases of the disease, with
77 deaths.
Cerebrospinal
fever.
During 1926, 97 cases of Poliomyelitis and Polioencephalitis were notified and of
these 14 were not regarded as genuine, making a total of 83 actual notified cases
for the year. Of these 8 proved fatal. In addition, 2 deaths from the disease were
recorded by the Registrar-General amongst non-notified cases.
Poliomyelitis
and polioencephalitis.
The slight rise in the incidence of this disease as compared with the previous
year, when 55 cases were notified, was due to a mild recrudescence which occurred
unusually late in the year and lasted till the middle of December. This rise was
preceded by outbreaks in various parts of the country, notably at Broadstairs and
other parts of Kent and Leicester. In several instances it was ascertained that
London patients were probably infected in these areas. It is surmised that in
certain cases the infection was imported from Brittany, where a severe type of
poliomyelitis was prevalent during the late summer.
Incidence and Mortality.—During 1926, 231 cases of encephalitis lethargica
were notified, and in 58 cases the diagnosis was subsequently revised. Of the 173
actual notified cases, 68 (39 per cent.) proved fatal. In addition, 22 fatal cases,
which had not been notified under the Encephalitis Lethargica Regulations, were
recorded in the Registrar-General's death returns. Several of these cases had their
onset in previous years.
Encephalitis
lethargica.

The subject of encephalitis lethargica from the point of view of its effect upon
the juvenile section of the population and the arrangements made for the institutional
treatment of children under the age of 16 years, is dealt with in my report as the
School Medical Officer. The incidence of this disease, however, is by no means
limited to the younger section of the community, as the following table, shewing
the age incidence of actual cases notified since 1919 (allowing for revision of diagnosis),
clearly demonstrates. This table will also be of interest as indicating the mortality
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