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INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
Before 1939 it was widely believed by those who had studied the
subject that, in the event of war, infectious disease generally would
increase to a marked degree, owing to the inevitable movements of
population, overcrowding and similar alterations in environment and
habit, but fortunately these fears were not fully justified.
In this Country the only serious epidemic was that of cerebro-spinal
fever, fortunately met by new methods of treatment which reduced the
case mortality. It is true that infective jaundice (not generally notifiable)
increased at home and abroad, as did also tuberculosis (referred to later
in this report) in the early war years, and the venereal diseases, while
there were occasional outbreaks of paratyphoid fever. That annoying
infestation, scabies, continued its pre-war increase in prevalence, as did
dysentery, both aided by war conditions. The majority of " infectious
diseases," diphtheria, scarlet fever, etc., did not increase abnormally
however, and some even decreased in prevalence.
While the overworked and depleted public health organisation can
claim a little credit for the curtailment of certain of the diseases, and
known factors can be deduced to have caused benefit in others, it is
difficult to explain many of the phenomena, which have, however, been
noted with gratitude.
An examination of Table III in the Appendix will indicate the position
in this District both before and during the war. It does not,
however, distinguish between the cases of infectious disease which
occurred in the local institutions and those affecting the general population.
Inevitably, overcrowding and understaffing in the mental hospitals,
together with the interchange of patients between such institutions, was
conducive to the increase of infectious disease, particularly of dysentery
and enteric fever. Apart from this factor, however, the position in the
District was remarkably good. It is true that there was an increase in
scarlet fever, reaching its peak in 1943, as in the Country as a whole,
and a relative but slight increase in cerebro-spinal fever, but even these
increases might well have occurred under pre-war conditions.
In general it may be stated that we in this District were epidemiologically
as well off during the war as before that event, and have much
for which to be thankful.
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