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diphtheria was suspended, there being evidence available that, during
epidemic periods of poliomyelitis, children who have been recently inoculated
are more prone to develop this disease. Every effort is made to bring
the protection up to standard during non-epidemic periods but there is
some reason to believe that a very natural dread of their children developing
poliomyelitis acts as a deterrent to parents from accepting diphtheria
immunisation.
14 cases of poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis) were confirmed during the
year; 13 were children or adolescents whose ages ranged from 2-17 years,
the fourteenth being a male adult aged 26. 4 cases were of the nonparalytic
type. No case proved fatal. As in former years, measles and
whooping cough proved the most common of the notifiable diseases, 293
cases of measles and 157 cases of whooping cough being notified as compared
with 800 and 167 respectively during 1949.
With regard to tuberculosis, 380 cases remained on the register at the
end of the year as compared with 363 at the end of 1949, the increase being
due to cases transferred into the district. New cases notified decreased
from 64 to 45 and deaths from 21 to 15. During the early part of the year
the Woodford Chest Clinic (formerly known as the T.B. Dispensary) was
transferred from 93 High Road, South Woodford, to the Harts Hospital,
Woodford Green, where modern facilities for diagnosis and treatment are
provided.
Details are given in this report of the School Medical services provided
by the Essex County Council. Owing to the acute shortage of dental
officers undertaking school dental work due to low comparative salaries with
other forms of dental practice, the standard of supervision and treatment
available has deteriorated greatly. Only one dentist is now working in the
whole of the Forest Area with a school population of 25,000. While it has
become necessary to close some clinics in the area it has been possible to
maintain a part-time service for more urgent cases at the Woodford Centre.
The shortage of dentists willing to work for local authorities is a national
problem.
Particulars of the Home Nursing Service, given under the appropriate
section, reveal a much increased demand. The number of new cases
visited was 738 compared with 514 for 1949 and the total number of visits
made 13,427 compared with 9,111. Many persons who would formerly
have occupied hospital beds are now receiving treatment at home from the
family doctor whose services are supplemented by the home nurse and the
domestic help.
A similar expansion is found in regard to the Domestic Help Service
the number of hours help given during 1950 being 33,330 compared with
19,365 during 1949. The number of persons receiving help in 1950 was
248 compared with 181 in 1949. Much of this additional help has been
given to persons of pensionable age. While, owing to the limited number
of home helps available, it has not been possible to meet all the demands
on this service, it has been found that a visit from a home help for a few
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