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10
Infectious Diseases.
The incidence of notifiable infectious diseases was higher
in 1929 than in the previous year. There were more cases
of diphtheria (496) and scarlet fever (567) than there were
in any year since 1921; but on the other hand, there was
a decrease in the number of cases of measles (151) and enteric
fever (7). Smallpox appeared in the Borough for the second
year in succession, five notifications being received. The
incidence of pneumonia (293) and influenzal pneumonia (90)
was high. The number of notifications of puerperal fever
and puerperal pyrexia rose from 48 to 53, and there were
three deaths from puerperal fever, compared with eight in
1928. At the end of the year there were 932 cases of pulmonary
and 278 cases of non-pulmonary tuberculosis, making
a total of 1,210 cases known to be living in the Borough.
Sanitary Administration.
The allocation of duties of the Sanitary Inspectors was
revised during the year, consequent upon the increasing
demand made on the Department by the administration of
the Public Health (Meat) Regulations, 1924. In 1929, the
carcases of 24,885 animals were inspected at the. private
slaughterhouses in the Borough, and it was necessary for one
Inspector, and on occasion two, to devote their whole time
to this work. In all, three Inspectors are now concerned
with the supervision of the food supplies and the premises
where they are prepared, or stored or sold.
Although there were only five cases of smallpox notified
in the Borough, the occurrence of the disease in the Metropolis
placed much additional work on the Inspectors in connection
with the supervision of contacts possibly infected in other
Boroughs—work of the highest importance in preventing