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Poliomyelitis and Polioencephalitis.—These names describe two types of infection by the
same virus; in the former, the spinal cord is affected and in the latter, the brain bears the brunt of the
infection. During the year, 11 cases were notified and there was no death from this disease. Four
cases showed no paralysis, of the other seven cases, three were transferred to orthopaedic hospitals and
four to orthopaedic out-patient departments.
Typhoid Fever.—No case of typhoid fever was notified during the year.
Paratyphoid Fever.—During the year no case of paratyphoid fever was notified.
Dysentery.—This disease shows great variations in prevalence from year to year and from
place to place. During the year, 13 cases were notified, but three of these, not resident in the
Borough, were patients in local hospitals. The ages of these cases ranged from three months to 65
years; six were under five years of age and three were of school age. No connection was traced between
any of the local households concerned.
The infection in all cases was of the Sonne type and the illness was mild in practically every case.
The mildness of the illness is such that medical advice is not always sought, and unless the disease is
kept constantly in mind, cases are likely to be missed. In all cases of diarrhoea in children and on the
least suspicion in adults, a specimen of faeces should be sent for bacteriological investigation. Only
by such vigilance will this disease be kept under some degree of control.
Tuberculosis.—During the vear. 123 notifications of pulmonarv tuberculosis, and 18 notifications of non-pulmonary tuberculosis were received.

The decline in the death rate from tuberculosis in this country started about the middle of last
century, and it is difficult to assess the many factors which may have played their part. A point of
some interest is that the age of maximum tuberculosis mortality in females remains under 35 years,
whereas it has changed in males from 20-25 years in 1851-60 to 55-65 years today.

Of the 111 re-examined, 32 were advised that further inventigation was recommended, but such advice
does not necessarily indicate tuberculosis. Only at Bulstrode School were sessions open to the general
public, and the demand was greater than the available sessions could handle.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.—During the year, 13 cases of ophthalmia neonatorum were notified.
This is a considerable increase on the average for recent years and was due to an outbreak in a local
hospital. No baby suffered any permanent damage to sight.
Puerperal Pyrexia.—During the year, 67 cases were notified as compared with 53 cases in 1952.
A change in the definition of puerperal pyrexia was introduced by the Puerperal Pyrexia Regulations,
1951. No woman died from puerperal or post-abortion sepsis.
Measles.—This disease was less prevalent than in 1952, but caused no death.
Whooping Cough.—The notifications of whooping cough, 291, were higher than in 1952.
acuities for immunisation against this disease are available. The condition is most fatal in young
babies, and Protection should be provided before the child is six months old. There is evidence that,
with the improvement in the vaccine, the protection, if not complete, does mitigate the severity of the
attack. According to the records, 546 children under the age of one year received inoculations against
whooping cough during the year.
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