Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 01.12.1935, Side 215

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fected area eaught the disease then. Now the author gives a deseription of another
epidemic wave of poliomyelitis, wliich began in October 1935 and lasted lill Mar
1936. That winter was very severe, owing to great snowfail, but there was not
mucli frost, with the exception of a short period in January, when the frost
reached 14—16° Gelsius.
The epidemic hegan in that part of the district where the disease liad never
been before, and spread rapidly like influenza. The symptoms were as follows:
(1) The temperature was generally low, but some times it reached 40° C., especially
if the patient sufferd a relapse.
(2) Angina.
(3) Other symptoms — every patient had one or more, some patients. most or
every one of the following symptoms: Headache, ache in the back, stiffness
in the nape of tlie neck down the back (very common), nausea, vomiting,
diarrhoea, catarrh, bronchitis, otitis serosa and purulenta, swollen glands
round tlie ears. Further some cases were followed bv paralysis. 40 fainilies,
257 persons in all, were selected for special observation. 5 of tliesc families,
18 persons, did not catch the disease; of the remaining 35 families 149 out of
the total number of 239 persons, or 62%, caught the disease. The age-incidence
was as follows: (See table on pages 205—206). The disease spread over the greater
part of tlie district, but the advance gradually became more slow. Those who had
caught the disease during the last outbreak did not seem liable to infection, at
least no such case could be ascertained. This time children caught the disease,
also people in advanced jears, wlio had not lieen infected in 1924. In this
part of the district the disease was often very lingering, especially in the case
of elderiy people. Same patients were feverish for 5 weeks. Otitis media of a
mild character was verv common. The swollen jugular glaiids of tvvo patients
grew ulcerous.
The author is of opinion tliat it is not only the central nervous system that
is attacked by the virus, but otlier organs as well. He maintains that epidemic
waves are of a very different character; lie holds that inflammation of various
glands and of the mucous membranes was tbe most predominant feature of
this wave. Where angina, otitis media, swollen glands, bronchitis etc. are so
prevalent, he is certain that the virus must be at work in these various organs.
In 1924 it was the central nervous system that was hardest hit. This time two
patients were seriously stricken with palsy, some got paresis. The author claims
to have seen spasmodic paralysis.
5. Venereal diseases. Notified cases of venereal diseases in the year
1926- 1935 are as follows (cf. tables V, \TI and VII, 1—3);
1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935
Gonorrhoea . 340 348 407 431 519 400 372 482 57B 665
Syphilis 32 34 21 13 29 21 50 37 30 35
Soft Chancre 5 3 12 15 3 1 7 2 2
6. Tubercnlosis (all forms) (cf. tables V, VI, VIII and X).
1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935
771 737 538 407 440 446 471 392 291
Non-pulmonary . 425 429 489 457 355 300 279 344 434 293
Total Numb. of Notificd Cases . . 1011 1200 1226 995 762 740 725 815 826 584
Deaths . 183 206 211 214 232 206 220 173 165 149
Deaths frorn tuberculosis niay be classified as follows (last year’s
figures in round brackets): Pulmonary tuberculosis 100 (108), uni-
versal tuberculosis 7 (7), scrophulosis 0 (1), tuberculosis of bones
and joints 6 (8), meningeal tuberculosis 27 (26), abdominal tuber-
culosis 3 (8), tuberculosis of the urinary and generative organs 3
(2), other organs 3 (5).