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26
General Note.
No meetings have been held during the year. Indeed, the record of attendances of members to
meetings over the past few years has been so poor that your Committee have been reluctant to embark
on any new schemes. That membership of the Association has its prestige value there seems to be no
doubt but more positive action in the nature of lectures, discussions or films appears to be undesired
and members seem to be content that the Association should function in this way. Your Committee
have followed this policy during the past year."
SECTION F.—INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES—PREVALENCE
AND CONTROL
The incidence of infectious diseases in the Borough during the year was greater than in 1956. This
was mainly due to measles, a disease which seems to be especially prevalent in two-yearly cycles.
Information regarding the 752 cases of notifiable diseases reported is given in Table 18, page 37.
Enquiries relating to these and to infectious disease contacts involved 966 visits by the women public
health inspectors. There were 8 cases of poliomyelitis (4 paralytic and 4 non-paralytic) as compared
with 2 in 1956 and, again, there was no diphtheria.
Tuberculosis.
Table 18, page 37, gives information regarding primary notifications of pulmonary and nonpulmonary
tuberculosis received during the year and Table 19, page 38, shows the age and sex
distribution of new cases and of deaths from all forms of this disease.
Enquiries into housing and sanitary conditions involved 247 visits by one of the women public health
inspectors to all new cases and those moving into the Borough from other areas. The total number
of cases remaining on the register at the end of the year was 962.
Mass Miniature Radiography.
During the year, apart from the closed surveys carried out by the Unit at various business premises
within the borough, public sessions were held at two sites during April and May. These were very
well attended and altogether 3,742 persons were X-rayed, of whom 1,847 had not previously been
examined.
Food Poisoning.
During the year, nine cases of food poisoning were notified. One outbreak of undiscovered cause
concerned two cases. Of the remainder, which were single cases, one was found to be due to Salmonella
Newport, one to Salmonella Irumi, one to Salmonella typhi-murium and the other four to unknown
causes.
Impetigo.
No cases of impetigo were referred to the Cleansing Station for treatment during the year.
Scabies.
The Council's Cleansing Station in Lisson Grove dealt with 74 cases of scabies: adults 44 (men 32,
women 12); children, 30 (boys 25, girls 5).
Venereal Diseases.
Continued assistance was given to the propaganda campaign for drawing public attention to the
dangers of these conditions and to the adequate facilities which exist for those in need of treatment.
Disinfection.
During the year, 76 rooms and 443 articles of bedding (mattresses, blankets, sheets, bolsters,
pillows, etc.), and 645 books, were disinfected.
The Department continued to be asked by residents in the Borough to certify that worn clothing
intended for despatch to foreign countries was free from infection. Disinfection was carried out only
when clothing had actually been in contact with infectious disease but, during the year, 262 certificates,
relating to a total of 2,455 articles, were issued to indicate that no infectious disease had been reported
for at least one month at the premises from which the clothing was purported to have come.