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4
The death rate, when corrected to allow for the high proportion
of elderly residents, is 9.9 per thousand population which compares
favourably with other towns in the country.
Once again the death rates due to cancer are unfavourable in
Richmond. There is no doubt that this is due to the high proportion
of elderly residents.
NOTIFIABLE DISEASES.
The table in Section F sets out the number of cases of infectious
diseases notified by General Practitioners during 195.6.
Following the high incidence of measles in the previous year there
was the expected reduction in numbers during the year under review.
The incidence of all other infectious diseases was also very low.
Whooping Cough.
Only 26 eases were notified and most of these were quite mild.
Poliomyelitis.
Two cases only occurred —one in January and the other in August.
The first was a married man aged 33 who became ill during the last
days of December 1955. On the 2nd January serious symptoms had
developed including paralysis of the limbs and he was removed to
hospital.
Unfortunately he became progressively worse and died two days
later. This was an example of the worst form of the disease which
can be rapidly fatal and which is more often seen in adults than in
children.
The other case was an eleven year old boy who in August had an
illness associated with pain in the legs. He was not confined to bed
and it was not until the latter part of September that he was taken
to hospital, suffering from weakness of the muscles of the left leg.
This was a mild form of paralytic poliomyelitis which was undiagnosed
while the patient was in the infective state. There were seven close
household contacts but no further cases occurred.
Meningitis.
In October a boy aged 13 was admitted to hospital with all the
signs of meningitis and he was strongly suspected of being a case of
poliomyelitis. Accordingly full preventive action was taken as regards
close contacts.