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16
In private houses, 136 cases of Scarlet Fever occurred in 115
houses, and 52 cases of Diphtheria in 47 houses. There was no special
matter for comment in connection with either of these diseases ; on three
or four occasions there was some special incidence among the children
attending one or other of the schools, but there was no school
outbreak.
In 1921 a boy failed with Scarlet Fever in September, four days
after the return of his brother from the Isolation Hospital, and in
December the mother of two children failed with the disease five days
after their return. In 1922 two children failed with Scarlet Fever in
the fifth week after the return of a patient from the Hospital, and two
other cases occurred in the house at considerable intervals later, but
it appeared to be improbable that the original patient had infected
the others.
Bacteriological examinations are carried out at the Lister Institute
of Preventive Medicine on behalf of the District Council. During the
year 1925, 62 examinations were made for the diphtheria bacillus, with
9 positive results, and 21 for the tubercle bacillus, all with negative
result; 3 for the Widal reaction, with 1 positive result; 1 for malaria!
parasites, 1 for the anthrax bacillus, and 1 for the Amoeba histolytica,
each with negative result.
Diphtheria antitoxin is provided by the District Council, who issued
68,000 units during the year.
No applications of the Schick or Dick tests in Diphtheria and
Scarlet Fever were made.
A case of Smallpox occurred in 1923. The patient had been in
contact with about 150 persons after the appearance of the rash, but
the contacts were promptly vaccinated or re-vaccinated, and there was
no spread of the disease.
The one death from Enteric Fever which occurred during the five
years was that of a patient who had been notified in 1920, and died in
January, 1921. The four cases of Paratyphoid B. Fever notified in
1923 formed part of a series of cases which occurred in this and
neighbouring Districts in the first quarter of the year, and were
attributed to the infection of confectionery by a carrier of the disease.
The three cases of Encephalitis Lethargica in 1924 occurred in the
second quarter of the year, but they were in different parts of the
District, and no connection between them could be traced.
Under the Public Health (Pneumonia, etc.) Regulations, 1919, 54
cases of Pneumonia and 2 of Malaria were notified in the five years.
More than half of the deaths attributed to Pneumonia occur among
cases that have not been notified ; the majority of these deaths are due
to Broncho-pneumonia, but a considerable number of cases of Lobar
Pneumonia are not notified. Early in 1925 I again drew the attention
of the medical practitioners to the requirements of the Regulations.
The notified patients were visited by the Health Visitor.