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16
It is noteworthy 'that daring August and September cases
of Typhoid Fever were occurring all through the Greater London
area, and that in every case the infecting organism proved to
be of the same type and strain as the organism responsible for
the cases in Beckenham and Penge. It is reasonable to suppose
that the agents in each locality were infected from one central
source, but up to the present I have seen no report of the
Ministry of Health dealing with this limited outbreak.
The outbreak shows that surface contamination of food
by a carrier can cause outbreaks of Typhoid Pever; but such
outbreaks are seldom, extensive, and the number of persons
infected is usually small - in marked contrast with the
epidemics which are due to infection of the water and milk
supplies.
PUERPERAL PYREXIA.
16 cases were notified: 11 occurred in the Beckenham
and Penge Joint Maternity Home and 5 in private homes.
OPTHALMIA NEONATORUM.
One case was notified.
TUBERCULOSIS .
The total of 58 cases compares with 65, 66, 71, 60and
72 in the preceding five years.
In addition to the. 58 new cases there were 28 definite
cases transferred from other areas, 7 cases restored, to the
register and 5 cases were not notified until after death.
At the end of the year the number of notified cases in the
area was:-
163 Pulmonary Males, 149 Pulmonary Females, 33 non-pulmonary
Males, and 37 non-pulmonary Females; a total of 382 cases,
which compares with 381 last year. 99 cases were placed
off the register for the following reasons:
Died 25. Cured 28, Left area 46.