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102
APPENDIX I.
DIPHTHERIA IN THE STONEBRIDGE AREA BETWEEN THE 1st JANUARY, 1926, AND
THE 1st JULY, 1926.
by
ALICE J. GRAY, M.A., M.B., Ch.B., D.P.H. Assistant Medical Officer.
Between 1st January and 1st July, 1926, Diphtheria was particularly prevalent in the Stonebridge
Area. 133 cases (including 5 which occurred in Park Royal Hospital) were notified in all.
This shows a marked increase over the number of cases occurring during the corresponding months
in the preceding 6 years:—
There being 34 cases notified from 1st January to 1st July in 1920.
„ 40 „ „ „ 1921.
„ 19„ „ „ 1922.
„ 67 „ „ „ 1923.
„ 20 „ „ „ 1924.
„ 15 „ „„ 1925.
History of the Outbreak.
By the end of January, 10 notifications of cases had been made. None of these proved fatal.
The cases increased rapidly during February, when 24 were notified. Three of these cases died.
Exactly double this number, i.e., 48 were notified during March when the maximum number of cases
for any one month occurred. In addition the greatest number notified in any one week, viz., 17 were
received during the third week of this month when the outbreak had reached its height. The death
roll for March rose to four. Thereafter during £pril there was a rapid decline, the number of cases
falling to 15 (two of which succumbed). This was followed by a rise to 25 cases (of which three died)
during May, to be followed by an abrupt fall to 7 (one proving fatal) in June. The last case, a mild
attack, was notified on 1st July.
Age Incidence.
Of the total number notified :—
43 (including 4 notified from Park Royal Hospital) were children below school age, that is
under 5 years of age.
The youngest case notified was 4 months old.
71 were school children (i.e., children between 5 and 14 years of age).
19 (including one notified from Park Royal Hospital) were adults whose ages ranged between
15 and 40 years.
INVESTIGATIONS CONDUCTED WITH A VIEW TO DISCOVERING THE FACTOR OR
FACTORS CAUSING THE SPREAD OF THE EPIDEMIC.
School Attendance.
As the greatest number of cases were occurring among school children, an investigation was
accordingly made to endeavour to trace the spread of the epidemic to school attendance and particularly
to attendance in the classes which had the largest number of cases.
The schools found to be affected were :—
(1) Stonebridge which had 39 cases:—
29 cases in the Infants' Department.
8 „ „ Girls' „
2 „ „ Boys' „
(2) Wesley Road School which had 18 cases :—
11 cases in the Infants' Department.
7 ,, ,, Junior Mixed ,,
(3) Acton Lane School which had 9 cases :—
8 cases in the Infants' Department.
1 case ,, Mixed ,,
(4) Gibbons Road School had 1 case in the Mixed Department.
(5) Barclay Home Blind School, Brighton, had 1 case.
(6) Leinster Road M.D. School had 1 case.
(7) "Strathmore," Greenhill Park, had 2 cases.