View report page

3
Pamphlets on diphtheria prevention and copies of the broadcast of the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry
of Health have been distributed in considerable quantities and notices and articles have been put in the Press. The
most effective method, however, of ensuring the immunisation of the child population is the following:—
When the Health Visitors visit children aged 9 months or over under the Maternity and Child Welfare Schem
they draw the attention of mothers to the facilities existing for immunisation against diphtheria in order that they may
think the matter over and have their children immunised at about one year of age if they so desire. The Health
Visitors have this question of diphtheria immunisation in mind at each subsequent visit until the child has been
immunised.
Leaflets concerning diphtheria prevention with form on the back for parent's signature agreeing to have their
children immunised have been sent to head teachers for distribution to their scholars. A high percentage of these
forms are returned duly signed to the teachers. When immunisation sessions are held at the schools the mothers
frequently take the opportunity of bringing any younger children not yet immunised and getting all their family
dealt with at once.
Enteric Fever.—No cases of Typhoid or Para-typhoid Fever were notified in 1943.
Dysentery.—45 cases were notified as Dysentery in 1943. 1 occurred in January, 3 in February, 2 in March,
1 in April, 1 in May, 2 in June, 4 in July, 5 in August, 6 in September, 15 in October, 4 in November and 1 in
December. 17 of these patients were nursed in the Municipal Hospital, 26 in other hospitals and 2 at home. Two
died in hospital. One was aged 1½ months, death being attributed to infective enteritis, and one aged 8 weeks, death
being attributed to gastro enteritis.
The ages of the 45 patients were as follows:—three under 1 year, twenty-five 1 year but under 5 years,
nine 5 years but under 10 years, one 10 years but under 15 years, three 15 years but under 20 years, one 20 years but
under 35 years, one 35 years but under 40 years, and two 45 years but under 65 years.
Malaria.—4 cases were notified in 1943. 1 case occurred in a man of 32 years who originally contracted the
disease in North Africa in 1942. In the other 3 cases Malaria was induced for therapeutic purposes. 2 of these
cases related to 1 patient, Malaria being induced twice.
Infectious Diseases of the Central Nervous System.—Poliomyelitis and Polio-encephalitis, Cerebrospinal
Fever and Encephalitis Lethargica.—20 cases of these diseases were notified in 1943 as against 35 in 1942,
29 in 1941, 38 in 1940, 18 in 1939, 24 in 1938, 22 in 1937 and 14 in 1936. Six proved fatal, giving a fatality rate of
30 per cent. of notified cases. 15 cases were notified as Cerebro-spinal Fever. Of these 15 cases 10 proved to be Cerebrospinal
Fever, in 2 cases further information was not available and 3 were found in hospital not be suffering from
Cerebro-spinal Fever; one of these was diagnosed as meningism and two, both fatal, as Tubercular Meningitis.
The ages of the 10 cases which proved to be Cerebro-spinal Fever were as follows:—
Under 1 year of age 2 Between 10 and 15 years of age 0
Between 1 and 2 years of age 1 „ 15 „ 20 „ „ 2
„ 2 „ 3 „ „ 0 „ 20 „ 35 „ „ 1
,, 3 ,, 4 „ „ 2 ,, 35 ,, 45 ,, ,, 0
„ 4 „ 5 „ „ 0 „ 45 „ 65 „ „ 1
„ 5 ,, 10 ,, ,, 1 65 years of age and over 0
The months in which the 10 cases occurred were as follows:—
December, 1942 1 May, 1943 0 September, 1943 3
January, 1943 1 June, 1943 0 October, 1943 0
February, 1943 2 July, 1943 0 November, 1943 0
March, 1943 1 August, 1943 0 December, 1943 1
April, 1943 1
Two of these 10 cases which proved to be Cerebro-spinal Fever died. These patients were aged 6 months
and 18 years.
In addition two further deaths of Willesden residents were recorded as Cerebro-spinal Fever but the cases
were not notified.
Four cases of Poliomyelitis were notified aged 10 months, 2 years, 8 years and 53 years. The case aged 2 years
was diagnosed in hospital as Tonsillitis and recovered, the case aged 53 years was diagnosed in hospital as acute infective
Polyneuritis and died. The two cases of Poliomyelitis were discharged from hospital one being referred for further
treatment at the orthopaedic clinic.
One case aged 6 years was notified as Encephalitis Lethargica and died.
Pneumonia and Influenza.—439 cases of Pneumonia were notified in 1943 as compared with 225 in 1942.
Deaths from Broncho Pneumonia, Lobar Pneumonia and Pneumonia (unspecified) numbered 130 as compared with
87 in 1942 and deaths from Influenza 36 as compared with 12 in 1942.
The age groups of these 166 deaths from Pneumonia or Influenza were as follows:—
0—1 30 20—25 0 55—65 28
1—5 1 25—35 1 65—75 41
5—10 1 35—45 2 75—85 37
10—15 1 45—55 11 85 upwards 13
15—20 0