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of Paratyphoid B. Fever and 2 of Typhoid Fever were notified; it was
ascertained, from the date of onset, that the infection in 4 of these was
certainly, and in another case probably, contracted away from the District.
Of the 5 cases of Encephalitis Lethargica, 2 occurred at Cobham and
1 each at Ewell, Fetcham and Worcester Park; another patient from
Cobham was also found to be suffering from the disease after admission to
the Epsom Union Hospital, in September, 1925. Five of the patients died
of the disease, and the sixth patient died of Pneumonia about two years
after the onset of his illness.
Bacteriological examinations are made at the Lister Institute of
Preventive Medicine at the expense of the District Council. During the
year 72 examinations were made for the diphtheria bacillus, with 8 positive
results, and 15 for the tubercle bacillus, with 3 positive results.
The District Council provide diphtheria antitoxin for suitable cases,
and 24,000 units were issued during 1925 for the use of patients who
were suspected, but could not be definitely declared, to be suffering from
Diphtheria. In all other cases the patients were at once removed to the
Isolation Hospital for treatment.
No applications of the Schick or Dick tests in Diphtheria and Scarlet
Fever were made.
Under the Public Health (Pneumonia, etc.) Regulations, 1919, 56
cases of Pneumonia, other than those occurring among the patients in the
Banstead Mental Hospital, and 7 cases of Malaria were notified; no cases
of Dysentery were notified except in the Mental Hospital. The notified
cases of Pneumonia bear but little relationship to the deaths ; e.g., in 1925
there were notified 7 cases of Lobar Pneumonia, of which 3 ended fatally,
3 unspecified cases with one death, 2 cases of Influenzal Pneumonia, both
fatal, and 2 cases of Broncho-pneumonia, but there were registered in
addition, in the District, 3 deaths from unspecified Pneumonia, 2 from
Influenzal Pneumonia, and 9 from Bronchopneumonia.
The deaths from Influenza in the five years numbered 9 in 1921, 22 in
1922, 1 in 1923, 8 in 1924, and 17 in 1925, or 57 in all, representing an
annual death-rate of 0.32 per 1,000 of the population, as against a rate of
0.37 for England and Wales ; 26 were males and 31 were females ; 5 of the
deaths occurred among children under 5 years of age, 3 among persons
between the ages of 5 and 25 years, 13 between the ages of 25 and 45 years,
13 between the ages of 45 and 65 years, and 23 among persons over 65
years of age. The deaths were distributed fairly evenly over the whole
District; 13 occurred in the Parish of Cheam, 10 in Banstead, 8 in Ewell,
and 6 each in Ashtead and Cobham.
Outbreaks of Measles and Whooping Cough occurred in practically all
parts of the District at some time during the five years; the outbreaks were
for the most part of a mild type, but there were 9 deaths from Measles and
7 from Whooping Cough. In 1925 there was only 1 death from Measles
and none from Whooping Cough.