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16
MEASLES AND GERMAN MEASLES.
The total notifications were 548, 20 of which were German
measles. The greater number of cases occurred from May to end of
August, viz., 457, 13 cases before May and 78 after August. A typical
instance of how measles is introduced and spread in the district came
to light. At the end of May a crop of cases occurred in an elementary
school. It was then found that a child had been on a visit to London
and in contact with a case of measles there, and had measles on its
return home, but as the case was not notified and the absence from
school was not discovered in time to prevent a second crop, measles
(a few hundreds cases) became rather widespread in that district and
affected the school attendance considerably. Fortunately other parts
of the district had comparatively few cases, so that the majority of the
schools were not affected. As the father of the child was blind the
Council sent him a strong warning instead of prosecuting.
VENEREAL DISEASES.
Owing to the facilities for the treatment of venereal diseases in
London it was not considered necessary to have a clinic in Bromley,
at least at present. Posters stating where free treatment could be
obtained were exhibited in urinals where consent was given.
POLIOMYELITIS.
Of the three cases of this disease two occurred in neighbouring
streets in the Bromley Common area and ore in Martin's Hill district,
over a mile away. More or less permanent paralysis resulted in each
case.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM.
Of the five cases notified one was illegitimate and died from
convulsions within two months of birth The other four cases were
legitimate and satisfactorily recovered.
CEREBRO SPINAL MENINGITIS.
In reference to the four cerebro spinal fever notifications, the first
was dead when notified in January, being a carpenter of 46 years who
worked in an adjoining district. The nature of the disease appears not