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86
PUERPERAL PYREXIA
Of the 10 women who were notified as suffering from puerperal
pyrexia, six were confined at home. In three the raised temperature was
due to engorged or inflamed breasts; in one the rise of temperature
followed a miscarriage. Clinically the cases were mild and the fever
short-lived. Four notifications related to women who had been confined
in hospital but who had come home early. In only one case did it seem
that the rise in temperature was due to a uterine infection.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM
Only one infant was notified as suffering from ophthalmia neonatorum,
this condition occurring in a baby whose mother had been confined
at home. The condition was mild and recovery was rapid and complete.
NON-NOTIFIABLE INFECTIONS
Knowledge of the prevalence of some of the infections which are
not notifiable in the district is obtained from intimations received from
Head Teachers about the absence of children from school.
Chicken Pox
More than half of the 432 intimations that pupils in the various
maintained schools were absent because of chicken pox came from Priestmead
School where, in the summer term, the infants and then the junior
departments were heavily attacked with in all 222 cases. At the same time,
the junior department at Aylward School was affected with 77 cases and
St. Bernadettes 35. Many of the other schools had anything up to ten
cases, though many more remained quite free. Roxeth Manor and Stanburn
School, two schools especially affected in 1958, were almost completely
free.
Mumps
There were small numbers of cases of mumps amongst the pupils
of a number of schools in the first two terms of the year, but it was not
until the autumn term that substantial numbers at any school were
attacked. Even at this time some schools escaped entirely and many had
only small numbers. In all, 539 intimations were received. Of these,
105 related to Greenhill School, 55 to Pinner Wood, 46 to St. Bernadettes
and West Lodge 43. Bridge Schools and Priestmead each had 39 pupils
and Stag Lane 34. Although some pupils in the junior schools were
attacked, most cases were amongst those in the infants' department.
Although mumps in childhood is a trivial infection, in older children
it can give rise to serious complications. A number of persons were
removed to hospital suffering from mumps encephalitis.