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PUBLIC HEALTH ACT, 1936, SECTION 172.
PUBLIC HEALTH (PREVENTION OF TUBERCULOSIS)
REGULATIONS, 1926.
No action has been required under these powers during recent years.
NON-NOTIFIABLE INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
The group of non-notifiable infectious diseases again accounted for
very few deaths, with the exception of influenza, to which 4 deaths were
attributed in 1949.
There was only one death among the children under 2 years of age
which was attributed to infantile diarrhoea.
Apart from the death returns, the only information as to the presence
of outbreaks of non-notifiable infectious disease is obtained from the
returns from the nurseries and public elementary schools. As judged by
these, only a few cases of chickenpox occurred until the end of the year,
when small outbreaks occurred at Kenley, Smitham and Old Coulsdon.
Similarly, there were relatively few cases of mumps, and these were chiefly
during the first three months. Smitham, Old Coulsdon, and, to a lesser
degree, Kenley, were most affected.
In both diseases scattered isolated cases were notified throughout
the year.
Only 1 case of jaundice was reported, and no cases of ringworm.
Home visitation and exclusion from school are still the two chief
methods relied upon to prevent the spread of these diseases.
Treatment in hospital is provided when rer ired owing to social or
physical complications being present, but of these admissions records are
rarely received.
INFESTATIONS
(a) Scabies.
During 1949 the number of persons treated by the Health Department
for this disease was only 15, (9 adults, 5 school children and 1 child under
5 years), while 3 contacts were also painted with benzyl benzoate, other
contacts being provided with a special soap now used as a preventative.
A total of 49 treatments were carried out. Only 1 case was treated in the
second half of the year.
As previously reported, the Cleansing Centre at Lion Green was
closed in December, 1948, and almost all the above treatment was provided
in the patients' own homes, chiefly by a part-time Nurse.
The welcome decrease in the prevalence of this disease is shown by
the following table:—
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