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15
for bacteriological examination. In 17 of the 32 Tottenham
children attending the school at the time of the outbreak the
faeces contained sonne bacilli.
Food Poisoning
During 1951 there were no outbreaks of food poisoning and
there were only four confirmed cases notified; one in February
and the remaining three in May. In only one case was the causal
agent identified; this was Salmonella Typhi Murium.
Winter Epidemics
Although influenza is not a notifiable disease, it is desirable
that early information should be available of any possible
winter epidemics. The notification rate for pneumonia and the
death returns give some indication of the severity of winter
epidemics, and an early indication is also obtained from the
weekly returns of new cases of sickness in the area registered
with the Ministry of National Insurance.
At the end of 1950 and the beginning of 1951 influenza gave
rise to an increase in the amount of sickness reported, but this
fell rapidly during January, and by mid-February had reached a
normal level for the time of the year There were no epidemics
in the mild winter of 1951/2.
Acute Rheumatism
A rheumatism supervisory centre at the St. Ann's General
Hospital was established as from the 1st August, 1951.
The centre is under the supervision of the Consultant
Paediatrician, Dr. I.M. Anderson, and is concerned with the full
range of care (including in-patient and out-patient treatment and
a cardiological clinic) for the rheumatic child up to 16 years of
age.
To assist in the investigation of the incidence of the
disease, the sanitary inspectors furnish environmental reports on
all cases dealt with at the centre.
General practitioners have been requested to notify me of all
cases of acute rheumatism in children under 16 years so as to
ensure that they come to the notice of the Centre, It is hoped
at a later date to ask the Minister of Health to make acute rheumatism
a compulsory notifiable disease within the borough.