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(i) Mortality, Epidemics, etc.—A minor epidemic of acute anterior-poliomyelitis,
i.e., infantile paralysis, was one of the outstanding epidemiological features of the '
year.
There were several cases which were mild, but as usual some of the cases were
severe. The severe cases were those which are known as acute anterior-poliomyelitis
of the ascending type and which are also known as cerebro-poliomyelitis.
One curious thing emerged. In one family a patient was found to be suffering
from acute anterior-poliomyelitis of the ascending type and a child from acute
anterior-poliomyelitis of the ordinary type. The possibility of two infections being
present in one house like this is so very remote that it would appear that the two
manifestations are one and the same disease—variation from person to person
being due to something intrinsic in the person.
There were six sporadic cases of typhoid fever, one of which was definitely
known to have been contracted elsewhere.
During 1936 there was unfortunately an epidemic of measles and no Jess than
fourteen cases in Barking died from measles. It cannot be too well noted that
you yourselves are willing to take into your Hospital complicated cases of measles.
It is distressing to find how hard popular prejudice is dying, and the expression
"it is only measles" is one of the tragedies of today. The trouble is that the child
with measles wants the best nursing in order to prevent complications arising,
because, for instance, when broncho-pneumonia supervening upon measles becomes
serious, expert nursing is often too late.