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16
On receiving notice that cases had been admitted to the Isolation
Hospital from neighbouring authorities, the local practitioners were
told of its presence, and given a short summary of initial symptoms,
together with the recommendation that suspicious cases should be
brought to my notice, so that the patients could be admitted to the
Isolation Hospital at the earliest possible moment, and undergo
treatment with M. & B. 693, which has proved to be very effective,
if given early enough.
As is not uncommon when Cerebro-Spinal Fever is prevalent,
we also had, during this period, notification of 2 cases of Acute
Anterior Poliomyelitis, and 2 cases of Encephalitis Lethargica.
Many Practitioners availed themselves of my services for diagnosis
of suspicious cases. In several instances I could say quite
definitely that the patient was not suffering from Cerebro-Spinal
Fever, but, in other cases, I arranged for admission to the Isolation
Hospital, where further observations were carried out.
At this time, opportunity was taken of contacting the Emergency
Public Health Laboratory established at Brentwood Grammar
School, and assistance from a bacteriological point of view was
promptly given by Dr. A. B. Kosher.
(b) Enteric Fever.
As a special precaution during the present state of emergency,
local practitioners were asked to bring to my notice any suspicious
cases of alimentary infection. As a result, between the middle of
June and the middle of July, I had notification of 21 cases of
Enteric Fever. Ten of these, however, were reported from Oldehurch
County Hospital, and were diagnosed shortly after admission
to be suffering from this condition. These cases did not reside in
this District, and the Medical Officers of the appropriate Districts
were accordingly informed.
The remaining eleven cases resided in the Borough, and were
all diagnosed as Paratyphoid B. One of these was a child removed
from a farm in the District. This farm, however, supplied milk
to a few neighbours only. Nevertheless, full investigations were
carried out, all consumers were visited, and arrangements were
made for the milk to be pasteurised. No further cases occurred in
this part of the area.
Three patients were members of one family, but investigation
did not reveal the source of infection. All cases were mild, exhibiting
very few symptons, apart from General Malaise and some
Diarrhoea.
At this period, Enteric Fever was prevalent in many other
parts of the Conntry. Various samples of water, milk, and icecream
gave negative results.