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Of the poliomyelitis cases occurring in 1949 and continuing to show residual paralysis
at the end of the year, progress in 1950 is now as follows:—
Case A. Right peroneal muscle group No evidence of weakness of the muscles,
but the circumference of the right leg
was slightly less than on the left side.
Case B. Anterior tibials, quadriceps, hamstrings Still a fair amount of paralysis in the right
and abductors leg though walking without
mental assistance.
Case C. Left deltoid Recovered.
Case D. Abductors and glutei of the left leg Fairly full recovery with only a slight
remaining weakness.
Case E. Anterior tibials Complete recovery.
One infant, aged one year, was admitted to hospital, died on the day of admission and
was diagnosed at post-mortem as a case of laryngeal diphtheria. This child was in process
of immunisation when he succumbed to the disease. No positive contacts were found and
no subsequent cases occurred.
There were 89 cases of scarlet fever notified during the year compared with 74 in 1949.
49 of these cases were nursed at home and 25 cases were admitted to the nearest hospital,
which is in Uxbridge, but on 15 occasions admission was not possible to this hospital and
cases were admitted to hospitals in various places, sometimes as far away as 14 miles from
Southall. There were 3 secondary cases.
Provision of Antitoxin and Vaccine Lymph
The Council provides diphtheria antitoxin and tetanus antitoxin free to local practitioners
in the district. These antitoxins are obtained from the Health Department during office
hours and by direct request to the Medical Officer of Health at other times. In the event
of emergency supplies of vaccine lymph being required, it is obtainable at very short notice.
Disinfection
In cases of infectious disease, rooms, clothing, etc., were disinfected—rooms by sealing
and fumigating with formalin preparation; clothing, bedding and other infected articles by
removal for disinfection in the Council's disinfector at Salisbury Road Depot.
List of premises, articles, etc., disinfected during the year:—
Rooms 42 Quilts 5
Beds 48 Eiderdowns 1
Blankets 32 Pillows 43
Books 64 Sheets 56
Cancer
It will be seen by the table of causes of death (page 24) that in 1950 90 cases (52 males
and 38 females) died from cancer. (See Appendix, Tables VII and VIII.)
Special Infectious Diseases
Smallpox (Variola).
No patients with smallpox, but 4 contacts of cases of smallpox were notified to the
Department from the Port Authorities during the year. The contacts were kept under
supervision for the requisite period, but no illness developed.
Scarlet Fever (Scarlatina).
The number of notifications received during the year was 89, as compared with 74 for
for the previous year.
Diphtheria.
One case of diphtheria was notified to the Health Department. Immunisation had
not been completed.
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