View report page

16
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis did not reach epidemic proportions in 1952. There were 11 notifications of poliomyelitis
in 1952; 8 patients were admitted to Neasden Hospital and 3 to other hospitals. Only 5 actually
had the disease; 2 in the age group 0-15 and 3 over the age of 15. Four had slight paralysis, and 1 who
had a severe paralysis of the vocal cord attended a rehabilitation centre at Watford.
There were two notifications of encephalitis; 1 was confirmed, a boy of 1| years (a fatal case). He
was admitted to Central Middlesex Hospital suffering with pyrexia, but on post-mortem he was found to
have had encephalitis (?) poliomyelitis. The other notification was for a boy aged 7\ years who was
admitted to Neasden Hospital and finally diagnosed as chicken pox encephalomyelitis; he was discharged
cured.
Dysentery
There was an outbreak of Sonne Dysentery among the Central Middlesex Hospital nursing staff from
December 24th, 1951, to January 23rd, 1952. 58 nurses and 2 doctors were confined to bed with symptoms,
and the bacillus dysentery Sonne was isolated in 21 cases, the last positive case occurring on January 4th.
One case of dysentery and 4 carriers were found among the kitchen staff catering for the nurses home;
there were no cases among hospital patients. A New Year's party for staff and friends was cancelled
because the food provided would have come from the staff kitchen.
Apart from general epidemiological precautions taken, a talk with a film strip on food hygiene was
given by the Chief Sanitary Inspector and another sanitary inspector to the kitchen staff. In addition,
advice was given on providing improved facilities for hand washing (individual towels and a wash-hand
basin) and for the replacement of a defective sink and saucepans.
Smallpox
There were no cases of smallpox occurring in the borough in 1952.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum
Three cases were notified in 1952 (1 15 per 1,000 live births); there was complete recovery with
unimpaired vision in all three.
Puerperal Pyrexia
101 cases of puerperal pyrexia were notified during the year (101 confirmed).
Since August 1st, 1951, puerperal pyrexia applies to any "febrile condition occurring in a woman in
whom a temperature of 100 4 degrees Fahrenheit (or 38 degrees Centigrade) has occurred within fourteen
days after childbirth or miscarriage".
Food Poisoning
41 cases of food poisoning were notified during the year (23 confirmed).