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41
Measles.
This being an epidemic year some '2,272 notifications were
received as against 81 in 1954. 21 of the cases were admitted to
hospital and no deaths occurred. It is a remarkable illustration of
the advance of medicine and probably mainly of the anti-biotics in
treatment that this disease has relinquished its place as a killer.
Apart from the initial measles infection the secondary infection is
primarily pneumonia, but also such complications as eye and ear
troubles have been successfully conquered.
Whooping Cough.
A rise from 108 in 1954 to 163 in 1955 is to be recorded. 2 cases
were admitted to hospital and there was one death. This again is
relatively satisfactory in that what was once a serious disease has
now been substantially tackled. It may well be that the immunisation
campaign is also bearing fruit.

Dysentery and Food Poisoning Group.
15 cases of Food Poisoning were notified during the year as
against 7 for the previous year, whilst the number of Dysentery
notifications remained the same at 3.
Considering the size of the population of the area these figures
in fact reveal a negligible incidence.
I would again emphasize that it is of vital importance that
whenever Food Poisoning is suspected it should be immediately
notified to me. The longer the interval which elapses between
suspicion and notification the more unlikely is it that any of the
suspected food can be secured for analysis either bacteriological or
chemical and hence the less likelihood is there of any causative
organisms being isolated. It is in any event extremely difficult to
pin-point the exact cause of any outbreak even though grave
suspicion may be aroused in certain specific directions.