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maining three cases one was established as food poisoning due to the organism
Salmonella Typhi murium and the other two cases, although not pathogenically
confirmed appeared to have followed the eating of oysters and therefore, were
technically true cases of food poisoning.
Dysentery
Three notifications of dysentery were received One of these was not con
firmed, the other two were confirmed as having been caused by Shigella Sonnei
No contacts were affected.
Influenza
Influenza assumed near epidemic form in the early months of 1961 The infection
was a relatively mild one without many fatalities but it was wide
spread and caused a good deal of sickness absence, also it caused the hospitals
to be overloaded and on an emergency admission basis for most of January,
February and March, Three deaths were attributed to influenza.
Typhoid and Paratyphoid
There was one case of paratyphoid fever during 1961 The case was an adult
female recently returned from a holiday in Sicily She was treated in hospital
All house contacts were investigated but no other infected person was founds
and there was no subsequent spread of infection.
Tuberculosis
The number of notifications of tuberculosis in 1961 was 47 as compared with
60 in the previous year the pulmonary cases amounting to 44 and the non pulmonary
to 3.The number of deaths from this disease was one as compared with one in
1960 two in 1959 seven in 1958 four in 1957 six in 1956 and seven in 1955.
The figure of 47 notifications includes 15 inward transfers i e cases
notified because they had removed into the Borough but who had previously contracted
the disease elsewhere. This leaves a total of 32 new cases of tuberculosis
occurring within the borough compared with the figure of 33 new cases
in 1960.
Facilities for diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis as well
as prevention and after care are provided by the Hounslow Chest Clinic, and home
visiting is carried out by Health Visitors attached to this Clinic They are
also responsible for the examination of contacts and for the B.C.G. inoculation
for the prevention of tuberculosis. B.C.G. inoculation is now offered to all
the Mantoux negative, i.e. susceptible contacts of newly discovered tuberculosis
cases 84 such persons residing in this Borough were inoculated during 1961,
plus two students from Brentford Hospital and 23 women from St Raphael" s Home,
Brentford
A prominent part in the treatment is played by domiciliary chemo-therapy
(i.e. treatment with suitable drugs or injections given at home) on the recommendation
of the Chest Physician with the aid of the Home Nurses (formerly
District Nurses) provided by the Middlesex County Council.
Apart from institutional treatment provided by the local Hospital Management
Committees of the North West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board in General
Hospitals and in Chest Hospitals. there is also a Middlesex County Council
Hostel for chronic ambulant male tuberculous patients.
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