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35.
Acute poliomyelitis
Twelve cases of poliomyelitis were confirmed during 1955,
eight of which were paralytic. Of the latter, one has severe
residual paralysis, two have moderate paralysis and five have
fully recovered.
In addition, a child of six years developed severe paralytic
poliomyelitis the day after he left Chingford for a holiday in the
south of England; his illness had obviously been contracted in the
borough. He is still in hospital with severe residual paralysis.
The following advice will materially assist in reducing the
incidence of this disease:-
(1) Avoid overcrowded places during outbreaks.
(2) Pay strict attention to personal hygiene, particularly the
washing of hands after all visits to the lavatory and before
preparing or eating food.
(3) It is known that prolonged or severe exercise increases the
risk of paralysis in those who contract the disease. Therefore
undue fatigue and tiredness should be avoided by all,
adults and children alike,
(4) Poliomyelitis often presents itself as a two-phase illness:
an initial illness with rise of temperature, headache,
perhaps some stiffness of the neck, or nothing more than
fever, sore throat, or mild gastric upset. Recovery from
these symptoms takes place after two or three days, only
to be followed, after a further short interval, by the
second phase, the onset of true poliomyelitis.
It is with particular reference to these initial, mild,
indefinite illnesses that my remarks about avoiding undue fatigue
apply with special force and emphasis: anyone complaining of the
symptoms referred to, ought to be particularly careful to avoid
all forms of strenuous exercise during the ensuing fortnight; he
may not avoid contracting poliomyelitis should his initial illness
have been due to the virus of polio, but his chances of full recovery
from the paralytic form of the disease will be greatly enhanced.
Tuberculosis
The figures of 20 fresh cases of pulmonary tuberculosis which
were notified in 1955 represents a marked reduction in regard to the
previous year which was 30, and is considerably below the average of
36 notified each year from 1950-54.
The vaccination of children in the 13-14 year group, against
tuberculosis, continued; the number of children vaccinated was
most satisfactory, viz: 313 out of 624 who were eligible.