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Twenty cases of measles were admitted to the Isolation
Hospital as the home circumstances were such as to render
satisfactory domiciliary nursing impossible.
Diarrhœa (under two years).—Four deaths occurred from
this cause. Two of the children died in hospital and two in
their own homes. The ages at death were one month, one
month, four months, and six months respectively.
Influenza.—In the latter part of the year influenza was
prevalent in epidemic form. Compared with many areas,
Wimlbledon did not suffer severely. Speaking generally, the
disease was of a mild type.
During the whole of 1932 twenty deaths occurred
from this cause. Seventeen of these were females and three
were males. Most of the fatal cases occurred in elderly
people. In all but three instances the cases which terminated
fatally had been complicated by pneumonia.
As influenza itself is not notifiable no figures are available
as to the total number of the population who suffered
during the epidemic. Thirty-three notifications were
received of patients suffering from influenzal pneumonia.
Of the seventeen patients who died from influenzal
pneumonia, death occurred in three instances outside the
Borough. No notifications would be received in respect of
these latter three cases. It is thus apparent that of the
thirty-three eases of influenzal pneumonia notified in Wimbledon
fourteen terminated fatally.
Smallpox.—No ease of smallpox was notified in Wimbledon
in 1932. There was only one case in the preceding year.
Information was received by the Public Health Department
periodically throughout the year of persons resident
in Wimbledon who had been in contact with cases of smallpox
outside the Borough. In all, two hundred and thirteen contacts
were notified from other Health Departments. They
were kept under observation for sixteen days by the sanitary
staff. None of these contacts developed the disease. Two
hundred and seventy-seven visits were paid to the houses
of smallpox contacts. As in 1931, it was not considered
necessary to make chicken-pox notifiable in Wimbledon.
Scarlot Fever.—The total number of cases notified during
the year was one hundred and twenty-six from one hundred
and seventeen houses. The attack rate was 2.11 per thousand
of the population.
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