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54
today's methods of treatment have reduced the mortality rates of those
attacked. There are, however, still some circumstances in which the
disease may be dangerous, and so although for most little needs to be
done, enquiries are still made at the homes of the notified cases. The
most important of these conditions, perhaps, is that of an expectant
mother nearing the time of her confinement being in the same house as
a patient suffering from erysipelas.
Each year, from 1934, the number of cases of erysipelas notified
has ranged from 31 to 48.
In 1955 only 19 cases were notified; in the same year the smallest
number of cases of scarlet fever was notified. The cases were fairly
evenly distributed over the year. Nine were females. In all but three
the face was affected the site. Three of the patients were admitted to
hospital.
MENINGOCOCCAL INFECTION
Each year a number of sporadic cases of cerebro-spinal fever occurs.
In the post-war years the average figure was four. Last year the only
case notified in which the diagnosis was confirmed was that of a boy of
eleven weeks who fell ill in March.
The transfer death returns contained particulars of two fatalities
where the diagnosis of meningococcal septicaemia was made on the
findings of the coroner's post-mortem examination. The first was a
male of 54 who fell ill in April; the other a girl of eight months who
succumbed in May.
ACUTE ANTERIOR POLIOMYELITIS
Although occasionally in this century there were localised outbreaks of
poliomyelitis in this country, there had not before 1947 been a nationwide
attack. Since the year the country has never been completely
free from the infection, cases occurring even during the periods of lowest
prevalence. The extent of the rise in the summer and autumn months
has varied markedly. There are many who in spite of the conclusions
of the statisticians feel that the prevalence of poliomyelitis is related
in some way to weather conditions. It would not be a surprise to those
to learn that in the year of the very fine summer that the country enjoyed,
once the good weather had arrived, the incidence of poliomyelitis rose.
The number of notifications in the country as a whole was 7,305. In
1947, the year of highest prevalence there were 7,766 cases. In the
following year there were only 1,848, a figure which has proved to be the
lowest of the years following 1947. The attack rate last year in the
country as a whole was 0.16 per thousand population.
The corrected figure of 44 notifications in this district last year had
been exceeded only by the 57 notified in 1947. The attack rate was
0.21 per thousand population.
In the country as a whole the rise in the number of cases was very
much the same, except for undue prevalence in Barnsley, in the earlier
part as the rise in 1954, a year of low prevalence. There was a sharp
rise though in the week ending July 2nd which was perhaps associated
with the beginning of the real summer weather. The peak figure(458)
of notifications was reached in the week ending September 10th. From