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One case of Polio.myelitis and one of Polio.encephalitis have been notified; and in
compliance with the requirements of the Local Government Board the details of these
two cases are appended.
Case No. 1. Acute Anterior Polio.Myelitis. 30th July, Male, aged 4 ½years.
Extract from the Notes on this Case.
Son of a porter, patient not in attendance at School. Illness commenced 25th Julj, is supposed
to have had a fall 22nd July.
First symptoms, headache.
Whole of left lower limb and extensor muscle of right thigh paralysed.
Pain on flexion of head and positive Kernig's sign suggestive of meningitis.
Pain a marked feature at onset: now passing off.
No mental defect.
Reflexes:—K.J. absent both legs. P.R. Extensor left foot. Flex of right foot. Superficial
reflexes natural.
Patient said to have been feverish with headache a month ago, with running of the nose and
sweating of head, and was taken once to King's College Hospital and "got better."
Has not been away from London.
There is no eruption, nor is sweating a prominent feature.
Mother and brother of patient occupy one room in a block of dwellings, but the father, two
adult sisters and one adult brother live elsewhere.
The house was in fair condition, was not verminous, and there were no animals or birds.
Other inmates of the house were all well.
The patient has not been associated with other suspicious cases of illness.
The patient was taken and admitted to St. Bartholomew's Hospital 28th July.
Examination of blood shows Red B.C. 5,160,000, W.B.C. 6,800 H.G. 84 per cent.
Swabs of the nose and throat examined and inoculation test with c. s. fluid carried out.
The child recovered, but is still under treatment as out.patient.
Case No. 2. Acute Polio.encephalitis. 26th November, 1913, Male, aged 19.
Extract from the Notes on this Case.
Clerk. Beginning of present illness, supposed biliousness, headaches for some weeks but able
to work until November 19th, then felt weak with sore throat, no vomiting, and no headache except
prior to 19th November, no delirium—Coma just before death—No local paralysis, diaphragm and
intercostals not affected, but left leg, palate, tongue, cheeks exhibiting paresis, not paralysis.
No symptoms suggestive of meningitis.
Pain not a marked feature.
Reflexes:—Left plantar extensors, left K.J. absent and + + at different times, right absent,
abdominal absent, pharyngeal absent, palatal absent.
Patient had not recently been ill, has had headaches since childhood which have been less
frequent since eye glasses were adopted in 1911; the headaches have been worse for the last four
weeks.
Patient has not been away from London for a month.
There is no eruption, sweating is a prominent feature only during attacks of cyanosis.
Patient has been living in a hostel of 50 rooms with 107 males and two female staff.
Names and ages of patient's family unknown.
The house is in good condition, no vermin, no animals.
Other inmates of the house are all well.