View report page

THE HEALTH OF BARKING
the infected child at the only time when isolation is really effective. In this
connection, I understand that photographic plates may be sensitive to changes in
the skin before such changes become apparent to the naked eye.
PNEUMONIA.
There were 57 notifications of all forms of pneumonia during the year.
Notifications of this disease are probably not an accurate guide to its prevalence
since the value of its notification is not very clear to the medical practitioner.
INFANTILE PARALYSIS.
The summer and autumn of 1947 was marked by the severest epidemic of
infantile paralysis recorded in this country. In Barking, six cases were confirmed
and amongst these were two deaths. This incidence cannot be held to be heavy
when compared with the rest of the country as a whole.
Following notification, a visit was paid to every patient's household ; sometimes
it became necessary to advise close contacts, as a result of such visits, of the possible
danger to the public of their continuing their business for a while.
This outbreak is thought to be associated with a widespread and silent carrier
epidemic. There is evidence that for each person who develops the full disease
there are many who harbour the germ for a while and who are capable of transmitting
it to others. Add to this a second factor that Barking is part of the
continuous urban stretch reaching to the heart of London and thousands of its
citizens leave the borough daily to work outside and it will be seen that however
carefully and conscientiously cases are followed up and contacts traced it is very
difficult to spot the likely source of infection.
Your Health Department played a part in collecting evidence as to the causation
of this disease for Dr. McFarlan of Cambridge who is conducting an elaborate
investigation on behalf of the Ministry of Health.
Amongst the measures taken to check the spread of infantile paralysis in the
borough was a high level of chlorination of the water in local swimming baths;
the closure of children's paddling pools, and measures generally to prevent large
gatherings of children. It was not thought desirable to close schools generally.
TUBERCULOSIS.
From Table XV in Appendix C, it will be noted that 171 notifications of all
forms of tuberculosis were received during the year. Of this total, 156 were of the
longs (pulmonary) and 15 of other parts of the body (non-pulmonary). Included
in these figures are 49 cases who have removed into the district, of which four
were old cases returning to Barking.
Page 31