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8
Encephalitis
lethargica.
The notifications of acute encephalitis lethargica numbered 47. In 7 of these
the diagnosis was not confirmed; of the 40 actual cases, 12 proved fatal. In addition
39 deaths were recorded by the Registrar-General of cases which had not been
notified, and 8 which had been notified in previous years, making a total of 59 deaths
for the year.
Particulars of cases admitted to the post encephalitis lethargica unit at the
Council's Northern hospital are given in Vol. IV (Part I) of this Report.
Poliomyelitis
and
polioencephalitis.
Notifications of poliomyelitis and polioencephalitis numbered 89 ; the diagnosis
was not confirmed in seven of these. Of the 82 actual cases, 10 proved fatal. In
addition, 9 deaths were recorded by the Registrar-General of cases which had not been
notified, making a total of 19 deaths. Particulars of acute cases admitted to the
Council's Western hospital and of cases admitted to the Council's Queen Mary's
hospital for children, Carshalton, for treatment of crippling effects of the acute
stage, are given in Vol. IV (Part I) of the Annual Report.
The Ministry of Health in November issued a memorandum (166/Med.) on the
pathology, diagnosis and treatment of poliomyelitis, in which reference was made to
treatment by means of human convalescent serum.
In view of a possible outbreak of the disease, a small conference of representatives
of the Medical Research Council, the Lister Institute, the voluntary hospitals and the
Council's medical staff met on several occasions to consider questions relating to
the provision of serum. This conference has now (March 1933) made arrangements
for the collection of blood from voluntary donors and the preparation of serum and
its issue from special centres to hospitals and practitioners on certain conditions.
A memorandum has been prepared with explanatory notes on the use of the serum
and also a form to be filled up with a view to obtaining statistical information as to
the results obtained.
Food
poisoning.
Under the provisions of the London County Council (General Powers) Act,
1932, (section 7) medical practitioners are required to notify the borough medical
officers of health of any persons who are suffering or are suspected to be suffering from
food poisoning. In collaboration with the Metropolitan Boroughs' Standing Joint
Committee arrangements were made for borough medical officers of health to
forward to the Council particulars of all notified cases, in order that the information
might be circulated to all the metropolitan boroughs. The Act became operative
in July, 1932, and from that date until the end of the year, particulars of 466 cases
were received. Three cases proved fatal. In two instances, however, verdicts of
death from natural causes were returned. In the third case, the incriminated food
was not ascertained, though illness was attributed to the Salmonella group.
There appears to have been no widespread infection from any one source, except
that 14 cases were reported amongst a wedding party in Bethnal Green, where the
food suspected was chopped liver.

In eight cases the age was not stated.