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Of these, two were alreaay past the unrecognised febrile stage
and under treatment as orthopaedic out-patients at the time of
notification and 1 case was treated at home, the remaining 12
being admitted to hospital either as diagnosed cases or for
investigation and diagnosed as in-patients. Five were abortive
cases which shewed definite general symptoms but developed
no paralysis at all, while 10 shewed a slight or moderate degree
of paralysis. None was at all severe and none died. Other
cases admitted on suspicion were not confirmed. The case rate
was 0.08 per 1,000 of the population.
SCABIES. During the year the incidence of this disease,
which affected both children and adults, continued the decrease
which was recorded for the year 1946.
The number of persons treated at the Council's Centre,
which is established at the Council's Balaam Street Baths, was
936, as against 1,913 in 1946. Since the Centres were established
early in 1942, 19,309 cases have been referred for treatment.
The type of case dealt with was much milder than of recent
years, and persons came for treatment at an earlier stage of the
disease.
Scabies is not notifiable in this Borough, but it would
appear that most cases are referred to the Centre and that,
therefore, the above figures are a reasonably accurate estimation
of the true incidence of the disease in this area.
Cases are referred to the Clinic by school medical officers,
private doctors and hospitals. Many are found to be suffering
from various skin diseases other than scabies. No change has
been made in the very successful method of treatment by benzyl
benzoate.
As in previous years, the Medical Superintendent of Plaistow
Fever Hospital visited the Clinic daily, and beds were available
at the hospital for cases requiring in-patient treatment.
DISINFECTION AND DISINFESTATION. The number
of dwellings disinfected after removal to hospital, recovery or
death of a patient was 661, involving the disinfection of 759
rooms.
Disinfestation for vermin was carried out in 410 premises,
involving 836 rooms.
PLAISTOW FEVER HOSPITAL
Report by Dr. Donald MacIntyre, M.C., M.D., D.P.H.,
Medical Superintendent
All the common infectious diseases, with the exception of
diphtheria, were more prevalent during 1947 than in the previous
year. The mortality from them had also increased. This was
due largely to the prevalence of gastro-enteritis among infants,
which accounted for 26 of the deaths. These totalled 55, as
compared with 11 in 1946.
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