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originated in the mental hospitals, where overcrowding and the type of
inmates have made it very difficult to arrest the spread of infection.
Between the wars very few cases occurred, the highest being 17 cases
in 1923, whereas during the last seven years a total of 675 cases has been
notified (651 by the mental hospitals), with a minimum in any one year
of 21 and a maximum of 224 cases in 1941. Most of the mental hospital
cases were infected by one or other of several types of Flexner's
dysentery bacilli.
It is hoped that the release of military hospitals and the gradual
increase in hospital accommodation generally will produce a corresponding
reduction in the number of cases of dysentery reported annually from
these hospitals.
The largest number of ordinary residents suffering from this disease
was in I940, when 17 cases were reported from Selsdon. The diagnosis
was not confirmed bacteriologically in these cases, which were much
milder in type and probably caused by the Sonne bacillus, which caused
the only case of dysentery notified in the District in 1945. It is probable
that many more cases of this milder type of dysentery have occurred,
but not been diagnosed, owing to the difficulty in obtaining bacteriological
confirmation, particularly during the earlier war years.
Dysentery was the terminal infection which caused the death of three
mental hospital patients in 1941, otherwise no deaths have occurred.
Cerebro-Spinal Fever.
Only one case of this disease was notified in 1945, which is a decrease
on recent years, but two deaths occurred in young babies, born outside
the District, from meningococcal meningitis. There was no connection
between either of these cases. The young adult who was notified in the
District recovered after treatment at the Redhill County Hospital.
The maximum number of cases of this disease occurring in the
District in any one year was eight in 1940, preceding and following which
there was a slight increase, the total number of cases in the war years
being 28. The peak in 1940 corresponded with the maximum incidence
nationally, but the disease was only half as prevalent locally as in the
Country as a whole.
Poliomyelitis.
Two cases of poliomyelitis were notified during 1945, both cases
being young adults, who were treated in hospital and recovered. There
was no increase in this disease during the war years, when nine local
cases occurred, the maximum number in any one year being three.
Pneumonia.
Seventeen cases of acute primary or influenzal pneumonia were
notified in 1945, this being a slight increase on the preceding year, but
considerably less than the average of 28 for the war years. One case
was admitted to the Isolation Hospital for treatment. Only one case
occurred in the mental hospitals, compared with an average of 11 for the
last five years.
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