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CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
There was a marked decrease in the incidence of most of
the infectious diseases. Until the last quarter of the year the district
was almost entirely free of Measles. In the last quarter Measles
was prevalent in London and it was more than probable that we
should be visited by an outbreak. Nearly 2 years had elapsed
since the previous outbreak, and the district is visited by an epidemic,
either a minor or major, every two years. Intercommunication
between the district and London is so intimate that if the
soil here be suitable the other conditions favourable to an epidemic
would almost certainly arise. These conditions obtained towards
the end of the year, but the outbreak did not occur until the early
part of 1932, when the schools reassembled after the Christmas
holidavs.
Scarlet Fever.
The decline in the incidence of Scarlet Fever continued
during 1931, and only 45 cases occurred amongst school children
compared with 96 in 1930. The cases were distributed as follows :—
Southfield 9 Acton Wells 5
Berrymede 8 Rothschild 3
Derwentwater 9 Priory 3
JohnPerryn 7 Central 1
41 Scarlet Fever convalescent patients, and 119 'contacts' were
examined before admission to school.
There was no change in procedure in the treatment of contacts
and convalescents.