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Tuberculosis.—The notifications of pulmonary tuberculosis were the same as in 1950, but there
was an increase of 3 in the notifications of non-pulmonary tuberculosis. The downward trend of deaths
from tuberculosis was maintained as is shown below:—
Tuberculosis Death Rate per 100,000 population.
Pulmonary Non-Pulmonary Total
1930-34 67.5 11.5 78.9
1935-39 52.3 8.2 60.4
1940-44 55.8 7.4 63.2
1945-49 39.1 6.7 45.8
1950 33.6 0.9 34.5
1951 24.4 0.9 25.4
The number of cases of tuberculosis on the Borough register at 31st December, 1951, was 1,012.
"Tuberculosis as a constitutional disease is a serious menace to public health in that it is infectious,
insidious in onset, usually runs a chronic course and exerts its maximum effect on those age groups that
are of the greatest value to the productive capacity of a nation."
Persistent and co-ordinated effort by Regional Hospital Boards, Executive Councils, Local Health
Authorities and Local Sanitary Authorities is needed to strengthen and accelerate the attack on this
disease.
The Mass X-Ray Unit visited the Firestone Tyre and Rubber Company factory in August and
1,801 (68 per cent.) of the staff attended for X-ray. Of these 67 were recalled for large films but only 15
were considered to require further medical investigation for conditions which were not necessarily tubercular.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.—One case of this infection of the eyes of young babies was notified
during the year.
Puerperal Pyrexia.—The Puerperal Pyrexia Regulations, 1951, came into operation on 1st August.
They amended the definition of puerperal pyrexia to read as follows:—" any febrile condition occurring
in a woman in whom a temperature of 100.4 °F. (38° Centigrade) or more has occurred within fourteen
days after childbirth or miscarriage."
Because of the capacity of the sulphomanide and antibiotic drugs to control fever it became
necessary to amend the definition so that all puerperal or post-abortion fever should continue to be notified.
During the year 8 cases were notified but no woman died from puerperal or post-abortion sepsis.
Measles.—This infectious disease, due to a virus, occurs all over the world and in urban areas is
almost constantly present. At about two yearly intervals epidemics occur (see chart). These epidemics
may be slow in developing (1940-1941), explosive (1944-1945) or occur in two waves (1942-1943). During
the years 1940-1951 the local cases were distributed in age groups as follows:—0-4 years, 54.1%; 5-9 years,
42.2% and 10 years and over, 3.7%. During the same period there were 9 deaths due to measles and the
ages of the children were:—under 1 year, 3; 1 year, 2; 2-4 years, 3 and 5-9 years, 1 and generally it can
be said that the younger the child the greater the risk. Measles itself is not a killing disease and death
is usually due to some complication of which pneumonia is the most frequent.

This change has been brought about by improved social conditions, more widespread general and
health education, improved medical and nursing care and latterly by the discovery of new drugs and
antibistics. Measles remains a highly infectious disease and should always be treated as a serious illness
especially in young children.
Whooping Cough.—This disease is prevalent throughout the temperate zone, it is almost always
to be found in urban populations and exhibits periodic epidemics. These epidemics (see chart) are seldom
so widespread as in measles but it should be noted that not infrequently they occur at the same time as
measles outbreaks. Though attacks may occur at any age the disease is one which chiefly affects infants
and young children. In the Borough during the years 1940-51 more than 60 per cent. of the cases and
JO per cent. of the deaths occurred in children under school age.
As with measles there has been a considerable fall in the deaths from whooping cough and the
relevant figures for the Borough are shown below:—
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