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124
The incidence in each of the twelve months of the year was as follows:—
January 70 February 131 March 157
April 83 May 94 June 74
July 25 August 9 September 3
October 2 November 3 December 5
Home Nursing.—In six cases nursing assistance was provided, 52 visits in all
being paid. The cost to the Council was £2 12s. Od.
Hospital Treatment.—The number of children admitted to fever hospitals was 34
Deaths.—There was only one death.
Pneumonia.
The number of cases notified was 255, compared with 280 in 1934. Of these,
25 were influenzal. The number of deaths certified to be due to lobar or broncho
pneumonia was 84, and to acute influenzal pneumonia 16. The ward incidence
of the Pneumonias is shown in Table No. 57.
There is misunderstanding about the notification of pneumonia. All primary
pneumonias—lobar or broncho—have to be notified. Secondary pneumonias, with
the single exception of Acute Influenzal Pneumonia, are not notifiable. The main
objects underlying notification are (a) statistical evidence of the prevalence of the
disease or diseases and (b) the provision of nursing assistance if required.
In a recent memorandum the Ministry of Health suggest that a sanitary authority
should be prepared to provide facilities for the bacteriological examination of sputum.
Various strains of the pneumococcus can now be differentiated by use of typespecific
antisera—a matter of importance in the use of specific serum therapy.
There are four types of anti-sera:types I. and II. are seldom found in healthy
individuals but are responsible for some 60 per cent. of all cases of lobar pneumonia;
type III. and the hetrogeneous collection in group IV. are normally present in throats
and seldom give rise to cases of pnemonia. Felton's serum, which the Council
supplies (see appropriate paragraph) is used in types I. and II. cases.
The following Table, No. 67, shows the number of notifications of Pneumonia
received each month, classified by sex and according to type. It also shows the
number of deaths occurring from acute primary pneumonia and influenzal pneumonia.