- Email: [email protected]
INFECTIOUS DISEASE IN ENGLAND AND WALES DURING THE WEEK ENDED DEC. 8TH, 1928.
1315 sidered by the tuberculin committee of the Council.
IRELAND.
who have advised that no useful purpose would be served by meeting these requests.
(FROM
A useful recapitulation of our present knowledge of immunisation by Prof. Calmette’s method of prophylactic vaccination of the new-born is included.
OUR OWN
CORRESPONDENT.)
the Registrar-Generalof the Irish Free SI(i’le.. THE Registrar-General’s report for 1927 shows that the number of deaths registered in that year was greaterthan in the previous, whilst marriages and births The excess of births over deaths was more were less. than balanced by the net emigration. The death-rate was 14-77 per 1000 of the estimated population, which is lower than the average rate for the previous ten years (15-39), but higher than the rate for 1926 (14-05). The increase in the number of deaths was chiefly dueto influenza, heart diseases, and respiratory diseases.The principal epidemic diseases continued to decrease.. The number of deaths from tuberculosis was the lowest recorded, the rate being 1-45 per 1000 of the population. The corresponding rate in Northern Ireland was 1-41, in England and Wales 0-97, and in Scotland 1-0. The deaths from cancer continued to increase, the total number, 3113, being the highest The increase of 92 over 1926 occurred recorded. It is clear that much more detailed information is The increase in cancer entirely among males. of the rates vacciof necessary, especially mortality has not been continued from year to year, but nated children brought up in contact with tuberculous successive rises that the disease is advancing.. mothers, before Calmette’s claims can be completely Heart diseases suggest were responsible for 5031 deaths, accepted. almost equally distributed between the seges-2430 The provision of X ray facilities for purposes of of males and 2592 of females. The number of deathsdiagnosis and to check the progress of a pneumo- under this heading was 375 above that for 1926 and thorax is commended. With the present facilities for 275 above the average for the ten years 1917-26. the artificial light treatment of lupus there should The death of infants under one year of age showed a be no need, in Sir George Newman’s view, for utilising over the whole country of 71 per 1000 mortality-rate X rays in the treatment of this disease ; the lastIn as compared with 74 per 1000 in 1926. births, named practice involves serious risk of the appearance Northern Ireland the rate was 78, in England and of carcinoma in the treated area. Wales 70, and in Scotland 89. The low rate in the Irish Free State is due to the very low mortality (56 per 1000) in rural areas. In urban areas the rate was 99, and in the city of Dublin 123. The rate among INFECTIOUS DISEASE IN ENGLAND AND children is, however, startlingly highillegitimate WALES DURING THE WEEK ENDED 288 per 1000-or more than four times the mortality DEC. 8TH, 1928. among legitimate children. The births registered during the year represented a Notifications.-The following cases of infectious disease were notified during the week :-Small-pox, rate of 20-31 per 1000 of the population, being 0-05 155 (last week 189) ; scarlet fever. 2864 ; diphtheria, below the average for the previous ten years. The1360 ; enteric fever, 39 ; pneumonia, 1133 ; puerperal birth-rate in Northern Ireland was 21’3, in England fever, 46 ; puerperal pyrexia, 117 ; cerebro-spinal and Wales 16-6, and in Scotland 19-8. Marriages gave fever, 12 ; acute poliomyelitis, 9 ; encephalitis a rate of 4-54 per 1000 of the population, a rate 0-03 lethargica, 19 ; dysentery, 18 ; ophthalmia neona- below that for 1926 and 0-44 below the average for torum, 97. No case of cholera, plague, or typhus the ten years 1917-26. The number of emigrants in 1927 was 27,309, and the number of immigrants 2084, fever was notified during the week. in a net loss of 25,225. Of the 27,309 resulting The number of cases in the Infectious Hospitals of the United Stateswho left the to the went 23,947 country Metropolitan Asylums Board1 on Dec. llth-12th was as follows :-Small-pox, under treatment 14 ; scarlet fever, of America. 2488 ; diphtheria, 2129 ; enteric fever, 16 ; measles, 53 Celebrations at Trinity College, Dublin. whooping-cough, 390 ; puerperal fever, 18 (plus 7 babies) ; encephalitis lethargica, 74 ; poliomyelitis, 4 ; " other Dublin University was engaged last week in celediseases," 14. At St. Margaret’s Hospital there were brating the bicentenary of the birth of two of her 6 babies (plus 2 mothers) with ophthalmia neonatorum. greatest sons-Oliver Goldsmith and Edmund Burke. Deaths.-In the aggregate of gteat towns, including Mr. Stephen Gwynn delivered an oration on Goldsmith London, there was no death from small-pox, 3 (1) from and Lord Birkenhead one on Burke. Mr. Gwynn’s enteric fever, 18 (0) from measles, 8 (2) from scarlet address concerned itself mainly with the personal fever, 30 (6) from whooping-cough, 30 (8) from diph- life of his subject, with a brief estimation of his theria, 51 (7) from diarrhoea and enteritis under two position in literature. He did not pay special attention The figures in to the medical side of Goldsmith’s career. The most years, and 60 (10) from influenza. interesting part of the celebration-and perhaps that parentheses are those for London itself. honoured most the spirit of both Burke and which The fatal cases of enteric fever outside London were Prof. Major Greenwood, F.R.S., on behalf of the Medical Research Council Committee, has examined Dr. Biraud’s report on 1537 infants brought up in a tuberculous environment, who had been vaccinated during the years 1924 to 1926. Of these 1050 had been in contact with tuberculous people and 487 in contact with tuberculous mothers. The general mortality from all causes in the two groups duringI the first year of life was 7-6 per cent. and 6-6 per cent., while the mortality from tuberculosis during the first year of life was 1-55 per cent. and 2-46 per cent. According to Calmette, a comparison of the mortality of vaccinated and unvaccinated children in contact with tuberculous mothers brought out striking results ; the rate for the former was 6-6 per cent., and that for the latter 24 per cent. Prof. Greenwood considers that the mortality in the first year of life of the vaccinated children is no worse than that of ordinary children. Hence, if it could be shown that the rate of mortality of children of the class living in tuberculous homes is very much worse than the average, a prima facie case in favour of the process would have been made out.
Report of
I
reported from
Bristol and Manchester.
Liverpool reported 3
deaths from measles, and Manchester 3 from whoopingcough. The largest number of fatal cases of diarrhoea were reported from Birmingham 8, Manchester 6, Liverpool and Salford 4 each (Glasgow 5, Belfast 8). No town reported more than 2 deaths from influenza except Birmingham 5, Leicester and Rochdale 3 each (Glasgow 7).
The number of stillbirths registered during the week in the great towns was 287 (corresponding to a rate of 44 per thousand births), including 51 in London. 1 It is noted that seven cases of in the North-Western Hospital.
cancer
of the uterus
were
admirable inter-university debate from the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, and Paris, and from University College, Dublin, took part with young men of Trinity College, Dublin. The subject was : That a Censorship of Literature is Desirable. The motion was defeated by a large majority.
Goldsmith-was
in which young
DoNCASTER
an
men
INFIRMARY.—By weekly deductions
of twopence from their wages miners in the Doncaster district this year have contributed ae9700 to Doncaster Infirmary. In six years the total has reached ;1;)42,500.
IRELAND.
who have advised that no useful purpose would be served by meeting these requests.
(FROM
A useful recapitulation of our present knowledge of immunisation by Prof. Calmette’s method of prophylactic vaccination of the new-born is included.
OUR OWN
CORRESPONDENT.)
the Registrar-Generalof the Irish Free SI(i’le.. THE Registrar-General’s report for 1927 shows that the number of deaths registered in that year was greaterthan in the previous, whilst marriages and births The excess of births over deaths was more were less. than balanced by the net emigration. The death-rate was 14-77 per 1000 of the estimated population, which is lower than the average rate for the previous ten years (15-39), but higher than the rate for 1926 (14-05). The increase in the number of deaths was chiefly dueto influenza, heart diseases, and respiratory diseases.The principal epidemic diseases continued to decrease.. The number of deaths from tuberculosis was the lowest recorded, the rate being 1-45 per 1000 of the population. The corresponding rate in Northern Ireland was 1-41, in England and Wales 0-97, and in Scotland 1-0. The deaths from cancer continued to increase, the total number, 3113, being the highest The increase of 92 over 1926 occurred recorded. It is clear that much more detailed information is The increase in cancer entirely among males. of the rates vacciof necessary, especially mortality has not been continued from year to year, but nated children brought up in contact with tuberculous successive rises that the disease is advancing.. mothers, before Calmette’s claims can be completely Heart diseases suggest were responsible for 5031 deaths, accepted. almost equally distributed between the seges-2430 The provision of X ray facilities for purposes of of males and 2592 of females. The number of deathsdiagnosis and to check the progress of a pneumo- under this heading was 375 above that for 1926 and thorax is commended. With the present facilities for 275 above the average for the ten years 1917-26. the artificial light treatment of lupus there should The death of infants under one year of age showed a be no need, in Sir George Newman’s view, for utilising over the whole country of 71 per 1000 mortality-rate X rays in the treatment of this disease ; the lastIn as compared with 74 per 1000 in 1926. births, named practice involves serious risk of the appearance Northern Ireland the rate was 78, in England and of carcinoma in the treated area. Wales 70, and in Scotland 89. The low rate in the Irish Free State is due to the very low mortality (56 per 1000) in rural areas. In urban areas the rate was 99, and in the city of Dublin 123. The rate among INFECTIOUS DISEASE IN ENGLAND AND children is, however, startlingly highillegitimate WALES DURING THE WEEK ENDED 288 per 1000-or more than four times the mortality DEC. 8TH, 1928. among legitimate children. The births registered during the year represented a Notifications.-The following cases of infectious disease were notified during the week :-Small-pox, rate of 20-31 per 1000 of the population, being 0-05 155 (last week 189) ; scarlet fever. 2864 ; diphtheria, below the average for the previous ten years. The1360 ; enteric fever, 39 ; pneumonia, 1133 ; puerperal birth-rate in Northern Ireland was 21’3, in England fever, 46 ; puerperal pyrexia, 117 ; cerebro-spinal and Wales 16-6, and in Scotland 19-8. Marriages gave fever, 12 ; acute poliomyelitis, 9 ; encephalitis a rate of 4-54 per 1000 of the population, a rate 0-03 lethargica, 19 ; dysentery, 18 ; ophthalmia neona- below that for 1926 and 0-44 below the average for torum, 97. No case of cholera, plague, or typhus the ten years 1917-26. The number of emigrants in 1927 was 27,309, and the number of immigrants 2084, fever was notified during the week. in a net loss of 25,225. Of the 27,309 resulting The number of cases in the Infectious Hospitals of the United Stateswho left the to the went 23,947 country Metropolitan Asylums Board1 on Dec. llth-12th was as follows :-Small-pox, under treatment 14 ; scarlet fever, of America. 2488 ; diphtheria, 2129 ; enteric fever, 16 ; measles, 53 Celebrations at Trinity College, Dublin. whooping-cough, 390 ; puerperal fever, 18 (plus 7 babies) ; encephalitis lethargica, 74 ; poliomyelitis, 4 ; " other Dublin University was engaged last week in celediseases," 14. At St. Margaret’s Hospital there were brating the bicentenary of the birth of two of her 6 babies (plus 2 mothers) with ophthalmia neonatorum. greatest sons-Oliver Goldsmith and Edmund Burke. Deaths.-In the aggregate of gteat towns, including Mr. Stephen Gwynn delivered an oration on Goldsmith London, there was no death from small-pox, 3 (1) from and Lord Birkenhead one on Burke. Mr. Gwynn’s enteric fever, 18 (0) from measles, 8 (2) from scarlet address concerned itself mainly with the personal fever, 30 (6) from whooping-cough, 30 (8) from diph- life of his subject, with a brief estimation of his theria, 51 (7) from diarrhoea and enteritis under two position in literature. He did not pay special attention The figures in to the medical side of Goldsmith’s career. The most years, and 60 (10) from influenza. interesting part of the celebration-and perhaps that parentheses are those for London itself. honoured most the spirit of both Burke and which The fatal cases of enteric fever outside London were Prof. Major Greenwood, F.R.S., on behalf of the Medical Research Council Committee, has examined Dr. Biraud’s report on 1537 infants brought up in a tuberculous environment, who had been vaccinated during the years 1924 to 1926. Of these 1050 had been in contact with tuberculous people and 487 in contact with tuberculous mothers. The general mortality from all causes in the two groups duringI the first year of life was 7-6 per cent. and 6-6 per cent., while the mortality from tuberculosis during the first year of life was 1-55 per cent. and 2-46 per cent. According to Calmette, a comparison of the mortality of vaccinated and unvaccinated children in contact with tuberculous mothers brought out striking results ; the rate for the former was 6-6 per cent., and that for the latter 24 per cent. Prof. Greenwood considers that the mortality in the first year of life of the vaccinated children is no worse than that of ordinary children. Hence, if it could be shown that the rate of mortality of children of the class living in tuberculous homes is very much worse than the average, a prima facie case in favour of the process would have been made out.
Report of
I
reported from
Bristol and Manchester.
Liverpool reported 3
deaths from measles, and Manchester 3 from whoopingcough. The largest number of fatal cases of diarrhoea were reported from Birmingham 8, Manchester 6, Liverpool and Salford 4 each (Glasgow 5, Belfast 8). No town reported more than 2 deaths from influenza except Birmingham 5, Leicester and Rochdale 3 each (Glasgow 7).
The number of stillbirths registered during the week in the great towns was 287 (corresponding to a rate of 44 per thousand births), including 51 in London. 1 It is noted that seven cases of in the North-Western Hospital.
cancer
of the uterus
were
admirable inter-university debate from the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, and Paris, and from University College, Dublin, took part with young men of Trinity College, Dublin. The subject was : That a Censorship of Literature is Desirable. The motion was defeated by a large majority.
Goldsmith-was
in which young
DoNCASTER
an
men
INFIRMARY.—By weekly deductions
of twopence from their wages miners in the Doncaster district this year have contributed ae9700 to Doncaster Infirmary. In six years the total has reached ;1;)42,500.