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SCARLET FEVER.
There were 49 cases of scarlet fever, mostly of a very mild
type. Five cases were admitted to the Wandle Valley Isolation
Hospital.
The disease has for some years been mainly associated with
school children and particularly the 5-10 years old age group,
nearly 50% being in this age group in 1958, compared with 30%
in those under school age and 20% in older school children. Only
one adult case was notified.
Almost all the schools in the District, including a number
of private schools, had one or more cases.
ERYSIPELAS.
Only four isolated cases occurred during the winter, one of
which was admitted to hospital. As is usual with this mild form
of streptococcal infection, all cases recovered.
ENTERIC FEVER
No confirmed case was notified during the year.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM
For the eighth year in succession no case was notified.
PUERPERAL PYREXIA.
During the year only one case was notified as suffering from
puerperal pyrexia, compared with the recent average of 2 per
annum. The patient was confined in her home and recovered without
being removed to hospital.
PNEUMONIA.
During 1958 22 cases of acute primary or influenzal pneumonia
occurred, the majority in the first four months of the year when
some residents suffered from influenza. This is the lowest number
of notified cases since 1952, and only 3 of the cases were admitted
to hospital
DYSENTERY.
It will be noted in Table III in the Appendix that this disease
first became prevalent during the war and until 1955/1956 there
was a tendency for the number of cases to decrease. Until then
the cases were almost all due to the more severe Flexner type of
the disease and were usually inmates of the mental hospitals.
During 1957 only two cases were notified but in 1958, 35 notifications
were received. Of the latter number, 32 cases were due to
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