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In addition to the above, 2 or 3 children from this
District developed Diphtheria when evacuated, presumably having
come into contact with a new and virulent strain of the germ.
They all recovered.
Apart from the mental hospital outbreak, which can be
considered as distinct from infection among the general population
of the District, the position .locally during 1944 with regard to
Diphtheria can be considered very satisfactory. The relatively
high state of immunity, especially of the younger members of the
population, combined with good social conditions, give grounds for
hope that this satisfactory state will continue, providing a good
majority of babies are immunised each year and their immunity
enhanced by occasional additional doses during school life.
Scarlet Fever.
There was a considerable reduction in the number of
cases of Scarlet Fever notified during 1944, viz 88, compared
with 184 in 1943. In three of the cases the diagnosis was not
confirmed. The disease remained very mild in type and there is
nothing of note to report with regard to it. After the very
wide spread wave of this infection in 1943 it is probable that a
period of diminished incidence can be anticipated.
Enteric Fever.
Typhoid. There was only 1 case of Typhoid Fever
notified and this occured at one of the mental hospitals, where
death unfortunately occurred.
Paratyphoid. Similarly all 5 of the cases of
Paratyphoid Fever notified occurred in the mental hospitals. No
deaths occured from this disease.
Erysipelas.
There were 9 notifications of Erysipelas received
during the year and of these 5 occurred at one of the mental
hospitals. The remaining 4 were isolated cases occurring during
the first 3 months of the year. Only 1 of these was admitted to
the Isolation Hospital, but all recovered.
Puerperal Pyrexia.
There was only 1 case of Puerperal Pyrexia notified,
fortunately a mild case, and she recovered at the Isolation
Hospital.
Pneumonia.
The number of cases of Acute Primary or Influenzal
Pneumonia notified during the year was 9, this being 18 less than
in 1943, and still less than in the two preceding years. Five
of the cases were notified by Redhill County Hospital and one by
one of the mental hospitals.
Dysentery.
There was again a slight increase in the number of
cases of Dysentery notified, viz. 42 compared with 21 in 1943,
but this was much less than the 85, 224 and 121 in the three
preceding years. As on previous occasions almost all the eases
have arisen in one or other of the mental hospitals. In 1944,
37 cases were cases of Flexner Dysentery occurring in one of these
hospitals and one in the other.
None of these cases died from the disease.
The remaining four cases, which were notified from
the District as a whole, were scattered over the District during
the first five months of the year. All were comparatively mild
cases of Sonne Dysentery, two of whichwere treated in general
hospitals.