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notified from the week ending June 4th, for most of the rest of the year
there being only one or two cases each week. The total number of notifications
received was 2,038.
Intimations were received from the head teachers of the primary
schools of 975 cases. No school was especially severely attacked, though
eleven departments had about 50 cases each.
Twelve children were removed to hospital for treatment. No cases
proved fatal.
WHOOPING COUGH
Only 191 cases of whooping cough were notified in this district in
1949. The weekly average for the first quarter was six, for the second
and third quarters four, but it was only one for the last quarter of the
year. Intimations were received from the head teachers of the schools
of only 59 cases, no school at any time being severely attacked.
In spite of the relatively small number of cases in this year, there
were two deaths from the disease. Seventeen children were admitted to
hospital for treatment.
PUERPERAL INFECTION
The state which is now notifiable under the regulations is any febrile
condition occurring in a woman within 21 days of child-birth or of miscarriage,
in which a temperature of 100-4° F. has been sustained for 24
hours, or has recurred within that period. Some of the patients notified
then might be suffering from conditions entirely unrelated to their
delivery. That seemed to be the case in at least three of the five notified
this year. The other two patients suffered from a low grade infection,
possibly the result of retained products.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM
Ophthalmia neonatorum is an inflammation of the eyes occurring
in the new born. At one time it was responsible for much blindness,
but to-day not only are there fewer cases, the result of preventive measures
but for those that occur, arrangements for treatment are more satisfactory.
Only one case was notified during the year, the disease occurring in a
baby born in a nursing home. Recovery was complete.
NON-NOTIFIABLE INFECTIONS
These infections are not notifiable, and knowledge of the prevalence
of most of them is obtained from the intimations received from the head
teachers about children absent from school, as sufferers or as contacts.
Chickenpox.
In all, 377 intimations were received of the occurrence of chickenpox
amongst pupils in the primary schools. Stanmore Church of England
School was the most heavily attacked in the spring term, Welldon Park
and Harrow Weald Infants in the summer term.