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Puerperal Pyrexia
The number of notifications of puerperal pyrexia fell from 82 in 1957 to
58 in 1958. There was no severe infection, these puerperal pyrexia cases were
mild and mostly notified under the statutory requirement to notify any temperature
rise to over 100° after confinement in the immediate post-natal period.
Some of the improvement in these figures, however, is without doubt due to
the fact that Chiswick Maternity Hospital was able to accept fewer maternity
cases because of the need for provision of nursing staff accommodation on the
hospital premises, this provision meant that the number of patient beds was
reduced by 13.
Smallpox
During the year no cases of smallpox occurred in the Borough, nor were
there any contacts of confirmed cases. Notification of smallpox contacts is
always received from Port or Airport authorities as soon as, or before they enter
the district. One case of chicken pox in the Borough was under suspicion in
June, and samples were taken for bacteriological investigation - these, however,
proved that the case was not smallpox.
Vaccination against Smallpox

Total number of first vaccinationss:-
1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958
298 373 548 487 438 418 430 531
There was a rise in the total number of first vaccinations during 1958,
and the really important figure, i.e. first vaccinations of infants under one
year old, also showed a considerable rise, the first since 1953. Taking the
figure of the number of infants born during 1958 as a basis, the percentage
vaccinated in the first year of life was 57.3%. This compares with 42.3% in
1957, 43.7% in 1956, 47.5% in 1955, 50% in 1954 and 55% in 1953.
Scarlet Fever
There was a considerable rise in the number of cases of scarlet fever notified
and confirmed as such, the figures being 44 in 1958 as compared with 24
in 1957. 19 of these cases were admitted to hospital.
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