View report page

PETROLEUM (REGULATION) ACTS, 1928-1936
During the year 6 new licences and 111 renewals were granted by
the Council. The following is a list of particulars of quantities^ etc.,
affected by these licences:-
Petroleum Spirit 499,008 gallons
Petroleum Mixtures 14,843 gallons
Rubber Solution 100 lbs and 800 gallons
PLACES OF PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT
Forty-one inspections of cinemas and other places of entertainment
were made in accordance with the Circular of the Ministry of Health of
1920. Conditions were found to be generally satisfactory.
EPIDEMIOLOGY
POLIOMYELITIS
Most virus infections are endemic with epidemic phases. I mean
by this that small numbers of people are infected all the time, but that
from time to time larger numbers are infected with cases of flagrant disease
occurring. Poliomyelitis like Measles tends to have its epidemic phase about
every two years and there were therefore more cases in 1959 than in 1958.
There were not many more however for the immunisation programme (against
Poliomyelitis) had considerably reduced the level of infection in the
epidemic phase in Edmonton. This was not so in all areas and in the Borough
of Islington a few miles away there was during the Summer a serious epidemic
with a number of fatal cases.
The first definite case of Poliomyelitis in Edmonton in 1959 was
discovered when a woman of 26 years living in the North Circular Road Area
was notified as a case of Paralytic Poliomyelitis on the 7th July. This
lady saw her doctor on the 4th July complaining of headache and pains in
the back and was ordered to bed. When seen on the 6th July she had pains
in both legs, a stiff neck and a high temperature and was removed to Hospital
as a case of Paralytic Poliomyelitis. In this case the patient's
mother lived in Hornsey, and in that area of Hornsey there had not long
before been three cases of Poliomyelitis.
On the 10th July the Deputy Medical Officer of Health was called in
by the General Practitioner to see a boy of 12 months. In this case the
story was that the baby became out of sorts on the 2nd July, was rather
better on the 3rd, but on July the 4th was fretful and feverish and thereafter
became weaker and limper, until on that day the 10th July he was
unable to move his arms and legs. He was removed to Hospital the same
day and recovered after some months. In this case, examination of faeces
- 37 -