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Scarlet Fever
The number of cases notified was much the same as last year,
and they were distributed fairly evenly throughout the year. The
disease nowadays is invariably mild and there is little point in its
continued notification—particularly since the disease is merely a
streptococcal sore throat or tonsillitis with an associated rash. It is
quite illogical to notify those children with a rash whilst those suffering
from the same disease without the rash (and equally infective) are not
notified and have no restrictions placed upon them.
Dysentery
There was a further sharp increase in the number of cases notified
this year. There was no "carry over" from the Monteagle outbreak
mentioned in my last report, since this was contained by the end of
1953, and no definite outbreak occurred in 1954. There was simply
a large number of apparently unconnected cases, and I feel that the
figures reflect more complete notification rather than any true increase.
Puerperal Pyrexia
Here again I think the higher total this year results from more
thorough notification since, whilst the notifications received from the
Senior Medical Officer of the Maternity Hospital have remained fairly
steady those from a newly appointed junior have been much more
numerous than those from her predecessor.
Measles
Only 58 cases were reported during the year and Barking has
now been free from an epidemic for a longer period than at any time
since the disease was first made notifiable. This, coupled with the
fact that the disease was spreading in our direction from the
Walthamstow and Wanstead areas during the year, made it virtually
certain that a further epidemic would occur early in 1955.
Whooping Cough
We were also fortunate in being relatively free from whooping
cough—only 43 cases being notified during 1954.
It is much too early yet to say whether or not this is the result
of our immunization programme, but one hopes that it is and that
figures will remain low. Whooping cough is still a most distressing
disease, it still kills (particularly young babies), and, of course, also
gives rise to most disabling lung disease.
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