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11
Thirty patients discharged from hospital were examined
on their return to the District; and, on swabs being taken, 11
were reported to have diphtheritic organisms present. These
cases were carefully watched, but no further cases were
traced to them, and the bacilli were probably only present in
a very attenuated form with slight potentiality for infection.
There were 4 deaths from Diphtheria during the year.
Three of these were amongst the cases notified, and one
death of a Penge resident occurred in an institution outside
the District, which is included in this number.
The primary swabs from suspected cases of Diphtheria
are sent to the Clinical Research Association, and those from
contacts and convalescent cases to the County Laboratory,
Maidstone.
Diphtheria Outbreak.
During the closing months of the year a serious outbreak
of diphtheria occurred in the Upper Norwood portion
of the District. The outbreak was not confined to this
District, but affected also the adjoining portions of Beckenham,
Camberwell, Croydon, Lambeth and Lewisham. In all,
there were about 120 cases, of which 21 were in our District.
Upon noticing that the cases were all supplied with milk
from a certain dairy outside our area, the Medical of Health
of that District was communicated with, full details placed
before him, and the dairyman notified. At the same time I
informed the County Medical Officer and he subsequently
came and consulted with me upon the matter.
The outbreak was ultimately traced, after a considerable
amount of investigation, to infected milk supplied to this
dairy.
A special meeting of the Council was called and it was
decided, that unless the dairyman gave an undertaking to