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Deaths numbered 6 from whooping cough and 4 of these were under one year of age. This
disease now kills many more children than diphtheria owing to the rapid decline in deaths
from the latter disease.
The Council continued to offer Whooping Cough immunisation, but the arrangements were
modified towards the end of 1947, so as to complete a controlled trial in collaboration with
the Medical Research Council.
Such a trial was felt to be needed, for although there was a general belief that
Whooping Cough immunisation does convey some useful degree of protection to the children
receiving it, there is no reliable evidence to substantiate this belief. It was with a
view to setting Whooping Cough Immunisation on a firm scientific basis that the Council
agreed to take part in these trials.
Statistically controlled trials of this kind should be regarded as a whole, and any
attempt to give separate annual figures is apt to be misleading, but the trial had not
finished by the end of the year and it is not yet possible to give any indication of the
results.
CEREBR0-SPINAL FEVER. Two cases of cerebrospinal fever occurred during the year,
and both died.
ACUTE POLIOMYELITIS. Six cases of poliomyelitis occurred during the year as compared
with 15 in 1947. Three of these cases were males (aged 1, 3 and 5 years) and 3 were females
(aged 2, 3 and 5 years). Two of the cases showed no paralysis (abortive); the remaining 4
showed a slight or moderate degree of paralysis, but none was severe.
ERYSIPELAS. The number of cases of erysipelas notified during the year was 46 (18
males, 28 females); giving a case rate of 0.23 per 1,000 population.
DYSENTERY® There were 20 cases of dysentery notified during the year (7 males, 13
females). By convention this disease is listed separately from cases of food poisoning
although the infection arises in the same way in both diseases.
DIARRHOEA AND ENTERITIS. During the year the number of deaths from this disease was
11: all in children under one year of age. It is probable that the majority of these deaths
can be ascribed to food infections and with education the incidence can be lessened. The
shortage of health visitors commented on elsewhere in this report has made it impossible to
carry out as much educational work among mothers of young children as could be wished.
TYPHOID FEVER. Two cases of typhoid fever occurred during the year. Case 1. Mrs.D.
became ill on 30th July, with sore throat, vomiting but no diarrhoea. The sore throat persistsed
and she was admitted to hospital on 9th August. A rash-rather too profuse to be typical
of typhoid appeared on 12th August. The Widal test was positive and Salmonellatyphi were
cultured from the stool.
The patient made an uneventful recovery.
The husband, mother and the patient's two children aged 3 and 1 year were all close
contacts.
The home conditions were good.
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