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27
ERYSIPELAS.
The number of cases of erysipelas notified this year was the same
as in 1942. Of these 46 cases, 35 were female. The face was the affected
site in 29 and the leg in 7.
Nine patients were treated in isolation hospitals, 5 in general hospitals
and the remainder at home.
The incidence was markedly higher in the second than in the first
half of the year, this being due to the 7 cases in August and the 9 in
December.
CEREBRO-SPINAL FEVER.
Of the 16 notifications of patients suffering from cerebro-spinal fever,
the diagnosis was subsequently amended in 9, in four instances to
pneumonia and in two each to influenza and tuberculosis. The 7 cases
then is a further fall in incidence, the rate now approaching the pre-war
level which was disturbed by the occurrence of 38 cases in 1940, though
from this height the level fell to 25 in 1941 and 13 in 1942. The cases
occurred one each month from February to July with an extra case in
March. One of these two cases, a boy of 2, proved fatal.
Apart from this case information was received in the transfer death
returns of the death of a baby of 7 months in January from chronic
meningococcal meningitis.
3 patients were treated in general hospitals, 2 in isolation hospitals
and 2 at home.
MEASLES.
The district was subjected in the earlier half of 1942 to a heavy wave
of measles incidence which had started in the latter weeks of 1941. The
disease had practically completely died out in the first half of 1942, and
there had been no rise in the latter part of this year to suggest that the
incidence would mount from early 1943 to reach epidemic proportions in
the month of March with a weekly incidence of some 110, and April with
a weekly average of nearly 100. The fall to an average of 40 in May and
a further drop to 24 in June, led to the further decline to a weekly
average of 4 in the third quarter and a virtual extinction in the last
quarter. In all 1,516 notifications were received.
15 school departments were affected in the spring term, only two
of these, however, having as many as 50 cases. In the summer term
only two schools had any appreciable numbers.
Only one death was recorded as due to measles.
The total number of visits paid to the homes by the health visitors
was 214, while 27 children were removed to hospital.
WHOOPING COUGH.
In 1942, the 468 notifications were spread throughout the whole year,
the weekly incidence for each of the four quarters being 13, 10, 8 and 5.
This last year the disease was again prevalent throughout the year, but
the distribution of the 393 cases was markedly different, the weekly
average of each of the quarters being 4, 5, 11, and 9.