View report page

31
(o) Artificial Light Treatment.—The total attendances for
treatment were 2,522.
8. INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Notification in the 5-15 years age-group during 1951 was as
follows, the figures for 1950 being shown in parenthesis: Scarlet
Fever, 85 (116); Diphtheria, Nil (1); Pneumonia, 12 (3);
Erysipelas, Nil (1); Meningococcal Infection, Nil (1); Measles,
1,085 (111); Whooping Cough, 262 (224); Dysentery, 34 (Nil);
Poliomyelitis, 4 (1).
Non-notifiable diseases are usually brought to light by the
weekly returns made by Head Teachers under the local Regulations
as to Infectious Diseases in Schools.

Gastric Influenza.—In September some 49 cases of sickness
were reported at a Girls' School. Absences were mainly only for
one day. Twelve of the children did not take school meals.
Detailed visits, inspections and examinations were carried out by
the Medical and Sanitary staffs. Food and milk samples were
examined but no definite conclusion was reached as to the nature
of the infection nor of the cause. Probably it was a virus infection
usually referred to either as gastric influenza or winter vomiting.
Attention was drawn to an epidemic of vomiting with occasional
sickness, which had affected an Infants' School in September.
The total number of cases was 52, roughly half of which had
occurred in the previous fortnight.
The usual enquiries and inspections, both at the school and
at children's homes, were carried out and the position was discussed
with the Consultant in Pathology for the area, who suggested that