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45
CEREBRO-SPINAL FEVER.
In 2 of the 11 cases notified as cerebro-spinal fever, the diagnosis
was withdrawn. One of the cases occurred in January, 3 in February,
2 in March and 1 each in April, June, September and November. One
of the notified cases proved fatal. In addition, another child whose
illness had not been notified died in September. All cases were treated
in hospital, 8 in isolation hospitals, the others in a general hospital.
ACUTE ANTERIOR POLIOMYELITIS.
Five notifications of cases of poliomyelitis were received, but in one
the notification was withdrawn. The first case, a girl of nine who fell
ill in June, had within the incubation period returned from a holiday
at the seaside. The other cases occurred in July, September, and November.
None seemed to be associated with any of the cases which occurred
in some of the nearby districts in the summer months. From the death
returns it was learned that a girl of 15 had died in September from an
infection, apparently contracted in August in the district in which she
had spent her summer holiday. All the notified cases were removed to
an isolation hospital for treatment.
MEASLES.
During the year, 1,605 notifications were received, a rate of 7.6
per 1,000 population. The rate for the country as a whole was 3.92,
but for the administrative County of London, 7.35. Apart from the
first two months, the district was never entirely free from this infection.
The weekly average rose from 4 in March to 6 in April, 25 in May and
40 in June. There was a fall to 32 in July, to 18 in August and to only
4 in September. The incidence rose to a weekly average of 23 In October,
82 in November and 114 in December. The summer outbreak was
almost limited to the children at Longfield and Pinner Wood Schools.
Three schools were affected in October and three others especially in
November and December. Twenty-four children were removed to
hospital. The health visitors paid 257 visits to homes in which there
were measles patients. Two deaths were recorded as due to measles.
WHOOPING COUGH.
Children notified as suffering from whooping cough numbered 441,
an incidence per 1,000 population of 2.10, which compares with a rate
of 2.28 for the country as a whole, and 2.22 for London.
The district was never entirely free from the infection, though most
cases occurred in the five months April to August. The only school
at all heavily attacked was Roxbourne, where there were many cases from
April to June. Thirteen patients suffering from complications of whooping
cough were admitted to hospital for treatment. The number of visits
paid by health visitors was 41. There were no deaths this year from
this complaint.