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The final conclusion has been that these two cases were of
this rare virus disease, in one giving the picture of myelitis and
in the other of encephalitis.
Regarding the occurrence of this case then, contact was
made with the Ministry of Health and with the Medical Officers
of Health of towns in Ireland, with various Medical Officers of
Health throughout England into whose areas contacts of these
girls had proceeded, with Medical Officers in charge of infectious
disease hospitals who, in turn, were in co-operation with laboratory
workers, while now the file in this department regarding
the case has thirty letters and copies of letters attached to it.
Dysentery.
Fifteen cases of this disease were notified. There were no
deaths. Seven were nursed at home and eight treated at
hospital : —
5 — at Hendon Hospital.
1 — at Watford Hospital.
2 — at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
In 7 cases the infection was by Sonne Bacillus, in 1 other
by a Salmonella. The other 7 cases were unidentified
bacteriologically.
Encephalitis Lethargica.
Polio-Encephalitis.
No notification of these diseases was received during 1938.
Small-Pox.
The Middlesex County Council are responsible for the provision
of hospital accommodation for smallpox occurring within
the Borough. No case occurred during the year.
Non-Notifiable Infectious Diseases.
The Head Teachers of the County Council's Schools,
together with the information collected in the course of their
duties by the Health Visitors and Sanitary Inspectors, are the
only sources of information regarding the non-notifiable
diseases. The figures obtained in this way, however, have an
important relative value although the notifications may not be
complete, the rise and fall of the various infections being
demonstrated by the numbers thus reported to the Public Health
Department.
Measles.
Measles tends to occur in epidemic form every alternate
year. 1938 was in Wembley, as throughout the London area, a
measles year. In the intervals the disease practically disappears.
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