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28
SMALLPOX VACCINATION
1,652 persons received primary vaccination and 592 re-vaccination.
These figures show an increase on last year's totals, due no
doubt, to the proximity of cases of smallpox in the middle of the
year.
POLIOMYELITIS AND ACUTE ENCEPHALITIS.
During the course of the year 5 cases of poliomyelitis occurred
in the Borough. Of these 3 were boys, 2 being aged 6 years and
one aged 13 years and 2 girls aged 5 years and 1½ years.
Unfortunately one case, the boy aged 13 years, proved fatal.
All the cases were of paralytic type.
FOOD POISONING
Of the 10 cases of food poisoning which were notified during
the year, 6 were single cases, 2 being due to Salmonella Organisms
and in 4 cases no causative organism was identified.
The remaining four notified cases constituted a small outbreak
of food poisoning due to coagulase—positive staphylococci 'phage
53+. Within a short time of consuming tinned sild in tomato
these cases all members of one family became acutely ill with
symptoms of food poisoning. The remains of the contents of the
tin of sild were examined bacteriologically and a profuse growth of
coagulase staphylococci 'phage 53+ was isolated.
Bacteriological examination of faeces from the affected family
produced a similar growth of organism.
SONNE DYSENTERY
The incidence of mild dysentery due to Shigella Sonnei, showed
a decrease on last year's figure, 100 cases as against 135 for the
previous year, but this is an infection which is likely to vary considerably
in incidence, especially as its spread is so easily encouraged
by careless personal hygiene.
TUBERCULOSIS.
The following table gives particulars of the ages of the new
cases notified and deaths from this disease during the year.