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(i) Puerperal Pyrexia.—Seven cases were notified during the year, of which
six were removed to hospital ; all of the cases recovered.
(j) Erysipelas.—25 cases were notified during the year compared with 40 during
1930. Five patients were removed to hospital.
(k) Chicken-Pox.—In view of the prevalence of small-pox in surrounding
districts, chicken-pox was made a notifiable disease in the district in April, 1928,
and continued to be notifiable throughout 1931. A total of 333 eases were notified
during the year compared with 288 during 1930.
Sex.—151 were male and 182 female.
46. NON-NOTIFIABLE ACUTE INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
(a) Measles, etc.—The most important of these are measles, whooping cough and
summer diarrhoea. There were no serious epidemics of these diseases, and the deaths
registered were as follows:—
Measles 1
Whooping Cough 4
Summer Diarrhœa 6
(b) Rheumatic Fever.—Rheumatic fever is a very serious problem in Barking.
I am persuaded it is even more important than scarlet fever and I hope the time
will come when both rheumatic fever and measles are treated in hospital.
(c) Psittacosis.—I am happy to be able to say there has been no recurrence of
the outbreak of psittacosis noted last year. As I have pointed out elsewhere,
prevention of the disease is very easy and now that the people have been warned
that they should not buy birds which are likely to be infected I think we may
reasonably expect that we shall not have a recurrence.
(d) Cancer.—There have been 55 deaths from cancer, 34 below the age of 65
years and 21over the age of 65. It will be seen, therefore, that over half the cases
of cancer which have proved fatal this year have affected people who may be looked
upon as still members of the working community and therefore still of economic
value to the country—that is, they arc people with duties and responsibilities, which,
if and when they are removed, will probably, in a town such as Barking, have to be
shouldered by the State.