View report page

62
handling. In the next years only 1, 4 and 3 cases were notified. Last
year five were notified but in not one case was the diagnosis confirmed.
All notified cases were admitted to isolation hospitals for treatment.
DYSENTERY.
The incidence of bacillary dysentery in this country is unknown.
For some years there have been occasional increases in the number of
notifications throughout the country. In most instances the illness is of
mild clinical degree, the causal organism being the Sonne bacillus. This
can cause such a mild illness that no medical attendant is summoned, or
should he be called in he does not consider the case to be one of dysentery.
Even then, only if specimens are sent up for bacteriological examination
and a dysentery organism discovered is the illness classed as dysentery
and notified. On the other hand, this is one of the illnesses which spread
in mental institutions, and its introduction might result in large numbers
of notifications, but of cases of little public health significance. Again
the investigation of one patient might result in the examination of specimens
of contacts, and on the organism being detected, notifications are
sent in. For these reasons, then, the notification figures probably only
inaccurately reflect the incidence of dysentery. In the six years 1934-39
the number of notifications received were 1, 3, 3, 24, 13 and 5. In 1940
one case was notified. Since then each year the numbers have reached
double figures, the actual numbers of notifications being 10, 19,15 and 13.
Apart from those relating to service personnel 25 notifications were
received last year. 4, 3 and 1 cases in the first three months were followed
by 9 in April, 3 in May and 5 in June. In each of the next three months
one case was notified, the last in the year being in September. In all 13
cases where the causative organism was known it was the Sonne bacillus.
In two instances two members of the same family were affected ; though
in many other cases some other members of the household had had similar
symptoms but had not been notified. The ages of the patients ranged
from one month to 91 years. Males were more commonly affected than
females, the proportion being 3 to 2.
Eight patients had been admitted to and were notified from Redhill
County Hospital. In 9 instances patients were admitted to isolation
hospitals.
FOOD POISONING.
Food poisoning became generally notifiable by Section 17 of the Food
and Drugs Act, 1938. Though the condition to be notified is not defined,
it is presumed that what is indicated is that condition of public health
significance, so this would exclude those reactions of an individual due to
his idiosyncrasy. In 1939, the first year notification was called for,
particulars were received of 11 cases. In the next two years there
were 3 and 4, and in each of the succeeding two only one case. The
number rose to 4 in 1944, but fell again to one in 1945. This was thought
to be a salmonella infection, the result of the patient eating pork, at an
address outside the district.