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76
ANTERIOR POLIOMYELITIS (Infantile Paralysis).
Although only two cases of poliomyelitis were notified locally,
seven cases occurred in Walthamstow residents during the period
August to November. This seasonal prevalence was in close agreement
with the fact that 34 out of a total of 42 cases occurred in
Essex during the same period.
All were notified from Hospital except one from a residential
boys' school, where all necessary precautions were taken and wheree
fortunately, no further cases developed. There was some evidenc,
of case to case infection in two children from different parts of the
Borough who had met whilst away on holiday.
BACILLARY DYSENTERY.
Early in June one of the local Doctors drew the attention of
your Medical Officer of Health to the fact that in a family of seven
persons no fewer than 5 had complained of diarrhoea and sickness
which began about June 1st. In addition, a sixth member of the
family who had been discharged from a Hospital in a neighbouring
area on 24th May had suffered from profuse diarrhoea immediately
after her return home.
The symptoms and signs at once suggested the possibility of
Dysentery and faecal swabs were immediately sent to the Ministry
of Health. Dr. Scott reported the presence of B. Dysenteriae
(Flexner) W. type within 24 hours and the patient was removed to
Hospital. Later a sister was also reported to give a similar result
and was also removed to Hospital.
On the 13th June another family living in quite a different part
of the Borough were reported as possibly suffering from paratyphoid.
On visiting, the child was seen to be critically ill and was immediately
sent to Hospital with a tentative diagnosis of Bacillary
Dysentery. Death occurred within 24 hours. The history obtained
was that a baby of the same family had been taken away from the
same Institution by the parents, against medical advice, on 26th
May. Diarrhoea had been noticed while the child was in Hospital.
The sister at home, who had contracted measles a month previously
and was very debilitated, was suffering from pneumonia, diarrhoea,
and vomiting by June 8th. Afterwards she had green, slimy,
blood-stained stools. In addition, four other children in the same
family had a certain degree of diarrhoea. Faecal swabs were again
sent to Dr. Scott who later reported that three of the children,
including the fatal case, showed the presence of B. Dysenteriae
(Flexner W). Later a fourth child became affected.
The authorities of the Hospital from which the two patients
had been discharged had been communicated with as soon as the
diagnosis of Dysentery in the first family was definitely established
and again when the second series of cases were discovered. Both