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school teachers, health visitors, parents, etc. between 1920 and
1924 has been ixsed for comparative purposes.
1920-1924—7,032 cases with 170 deaths.
1946-1950—6,822 cases with 4 deaths.
The reduction in the number of deaths has been due to the
removal to hospital of many cases where complications were
expected or home conditions unsatisfactory, to improved home
nursing resulting from the advice given to parents by health
visitors, and to the publicity given to the dangers arising from
improper treatment of measles.
Poliomyelitis.—Between 1920 and 1924 seven cases were
notified, with two deaths; the corresponding figures for 1946 to
1950 being 103 cases with four deaths.
Improved nursing and physiotherapy treatment has considerably
reduced the number of patients left with permanent
paralysis.
Pneumonia.—From 1920 to 1924 notifications totalled 276.
For the years 1946 to 1950 the corresponding figure was 277.
The earlier Annual Reports did not show separate statistics
for deaths from acute primary and acute influenzal pneumonia and
so no comparisons can be made.
Scarlet Fever.—This disease has also shown a great decrease
in the number of cases notified as compared with earlier years.
In 1920 there were 1,077 cases with six deaths, whilst during the
years 1920 to 1924 there were 4,599 cases with 42 deaths. The
number of cases in 1950 was 274 and for the years 1946 to 1950
there were 1,362 cases; but no patient died during these years.
Smallpox.—Notifications during the past 30 years have been as
follows:—
1920-1924—1 case with no death.
1927-1931—646 cases with 2 deaths.
1946-1950—No cases.
Whooping Cough.—Whooping cough was not notifiable before
1938 and so no comparative notification figures can be given, but
during the years 1920 to 1924, 164 deaths were attributed to
whooping cough, whereas between 1946 and 1950 the number of
deaths was seven.
During the year under review 2,181 cases of notifiable infectious
disease occurred as compared with 2,965 in the previous year and
3,186 in 1948.