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Seven of the cases were of children of ten years of age or under,
six were adults of 20 years of age or over.
MEASLES
From a weekly incidence of 200 in the first two months of the year,
the attack rate fell to a weekly notification rate of only eight in May
and then almost complete freedom in the second half of the year. In all
2,462 notifications were received.
The disease was generally mild in character. There was only one
death. 32 patients were removed to hospital.
In the earlier weeks of the year when the infection was so prevalent
almost all schools were attacked though none outstandingly.
WHOOPING COUGH
Some cases of whooping cough were notified in every week of the
past year. In all 494 notifications were received. The weekly average
for the first quarter was nine, for the second ten ; it rose to 13 in the third,
but fell to four in the last quarter. 10 patients were removed to hospital.
This infection this year caused no deaths of those living in the district.
Few schools escaped infection entirely, but no one was heavily
attacked.
During the year, 1,944 children were immunised against pertussis
for the first time, 942 by medical practitioners, and 1,000 at the infant
welfare centres. Those treated at the clinics received the combined
antigen which protects them against diphtheria and against pertussis.
Although it is now generally accepted that the preparations used to
induce a state of immunity to pertussis are quite effective, the County
Council has not yet made arrangements for offering these facilities to the
public in all areas on lines similar to those for diphtheria. Many medical
practitioners, however, are treating their child patients. The figure of
942 of those children known to have been treated by their own doctors
is probably not a true indication at all of the degree to which the practice
is carried out.
PUERPERAL PYREXIA
Of the 13 cases of puerperal pyrexia received during the year, seven
related to women who have been confined in London hospitals and one
to one who had been delivered in a nearby hospital out of the district,
and who was notified after she had returned home. Of the five who had
been delivered in the district, in not one did the raised temperature appear
to be due to an infection of the uterine tract.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM
Only one notification of this condition was received this year, this
being a child whose mother was confined at home. The condition was
mild. The child was treated at home and recovered with no injury to
the eyes and no impairment of vision.
NON-NOTIFIABLE INFECTIONS
These infections are not notifiable and information of the prevalence
of most of them is obtained from the intimations received from the
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