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Puerperal Pyrexia.— Eight cases of Puerperal
Pyrexia were notified during the year. The case rate
was 8.08 per 1,000 total births compared with 11.96
per 1,000 total births for England and Wales.
The early notification of cases of Puerperal Pyrexia
is of primary importance in the prevention of maternal
mortality . Medical practitioners should make the
fullest use of the consultant, bacteriological and
hospital service provided by the authority and secure
the immediate and effective isolation of any suspected
cases occurring in maternity homes.
Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever.—There was no
case of Typhoid Fever. Two cases of Paratyphoid
were notified. There was no evidence of sources of
infection within the Borough.
Dysentery.—Eight cases of Dysentery of the Sonne
type were notified. The cases were mild.
The disease is endemic and spread can only be
prevented by the strictest attention to personal and
domestic hygiene. Many cases are very mild and
may be manifested only by slight abdominal discomfort,
slight vomiting or slight diarrhoea. Such
symptoms are also transient and may fail to arouse
suspicion of infectivity. The disease is highly
infectious. Mild cases may by infection produce more
serious eases with severe symptoms and incapacity
extending over weeks. The habitat of the organism
is in the bowel. It is transmitted by infected fingers
or flies to food. All those engaged in the handling
of food, whether in the factory, dairy,, shop or kitchen,
must be scrupulous in the cleanliness of hands in
order to prevent the spread of all such enteric
infections.
Non-Notifiable Diseases.—German Measles was
epidemic during the second quarter of the year.
School teachers reported 272 cases of German Measles,
116 cases of Chicken Pox, 75 cases of Mumps, 24
cases of Whooping Cough and 12 cases of Measles.
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