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58
SECTION F.
PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS
AND OTHER DISEASES.
One thousand five hundred and ninety-two eases of infectious
diseases (exeluding tuberculosis) were notified during 1953. as
against seven hundred and eighty-three during 1952. The increase
was mainly due to a sharp rise in notifications of Measles and
Whooping Cough.
If we survey the last few decades, we are bound to be
struck by the fact that such illnesses as Measles. Scarlet Fever.
Whooping Cough. Diphtheria. Smallpox and Typhoid Fever, have
either almost lost their terrors or have become so infrequent as to
cause our security measures to appear rather superfluous and unnecessary.
From the Public Health point of view, this is not so.
While we may perhaps claim some of the credit for the cliangc.
there are always other infectious disease problems cropping up
which continue to baffle us. Foremost in the public mind during
recent years, is the question of Infantile Paralysis which up to now
has not revealed to us the mystery of its actual method of spread.
This being so. we are unable to apply any specific counter measures,
but only those applicable, in a general way. to any infectious
diseases. It is. however, desirable to point out to the anxious lay
mind that the total number of cases notified in Bromley during the
year 1953 was only 8. giving an attack rate of 0.12 per thousand
population, and that there were no deaths from this disease. I have
quoted these figures in order that this disease should be seen in its
right perspective, but would not offer them as an excuse for any
attitude of laissez-faire on our part.
I am submitting a detailed report on a case of Typhoid which
showed some interesting epidemiological facts. There was no extension
of this infection but it caused considerable anxiety at the
time.
Diphtheria has again not been reported and this may be one
of the reasons why there has been a falling off in the number of
children immunised.
The falling incidence of Tuberculosis and of deaths from
Tuberculosis is indicative that control over this dread disease is at
last being exercised. The earlier diagnosis and the more effective
treatment have played their part in the falling rates.
It might be appropriate to consider in this general survey
another infectious illness which this time is not notifiable—that is
the common cold. On the whole I suppose there are few. if any.
illnesses which receive less attention from the General Public, but
few things cause more loss of man hours per year in business and
industry at large. Until such time as an entirely satisfactory preventive
agent has been discovered, a great deal remains to be done