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(1,236, 1,186 and 2,023). The incidence of Scarlet Fever at 225 showed
an increase of 21 over the previous year, but Whooping Cough cases
were reduced to 108.
Scarlet Fever.
Nothing noteworthy came to light in this connection. The number
of eases removed to hospital was 16. The reasons for the removal
were : illness or incapacity in family, 5 ; complications, 5 ; lack of
isolation at home, 6.
The type of disease apparently remains mild and so far as one can
judge the complications remained few.
Any real attempt at controlling the ordinary mild case remains a
difficult if not insuperable problem, and our efforts continue to be
focused upon achieving some degree of isolation and mainly upon
advising contacts who may be in a position of unusual potential as
spreaders of infection, e.g. those employed in food trades.
Measles.
I have noted the annual incidence of this disease. As with Scarlet
Fever the type appears to be mild and the complications few. It is
noteworthy that in the first three months of the year, which might be
expected to provide the months of heaviest attack, only one case was
in fact notified in each month : in other words, January to March 1954
revealed 3 cases of Measles in Hornchurch as against 1,109 cases in 1953
and 1,616 cases in 1951.
Whooping Cough.
The incidence figures for 1951, 1952 and 1953 remain remarkably
constant at 495, 510 and 495 ; but again in 1954 the incidence dropped
very sharply indeed to 108 cases. The disease was mild and few complications
appeared to arise.
Typhoid Fever.
A case of Typhoid in a female was notified during the year, and
after a prolonged stay in hospital cleared up completely as evidenced
by negative results before and at some interval after her discharge.
The only previous illness of note in the ease appeared to be a fever of
unknown origin which kept the patient in a hospital for some weeks
some 24 years ago, but which apparently proved negative on investiga
tion.
In the course of investigating the possible source of infection it
was ascertained that the mother of the patient had contracted Typhoid
Fever some 28 years before while in the Middle East, and had since
provided a history suggestive of gall bladder infection. On investigation
the mother proved to be a Typhoid " carrier." (The only other
occupant of the house in question—an elderly lady—apparently proved
negative on investigation.)
The subsequent history of the " carrier " is that she was admitted
to a local Infectious Diseases Hospital and after a course of treatment
with Chloromycetin and subsequently Streptomycin she gave continuous
negative results. Unfortunately on re-investigation after some
three months she again gave positive results. She has been provided
with notes as to the inherent danger of the situation.