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119
is concerned, by many sanitary authorities in London and the
provinces, and the official sanction provided by the new Order will
enable a wider use to be made of this beneficient agent. It is not
clear to what extent the duties of the Medical Officer of Health
are to be affected by the new Order, but it would appear from
Article 1 that it is mainly in an advisory capacity that his services
will be utilised.
The advantages to be derived from the free provision of antitoxin
by sanitary authorities are twofold in character. In the
first place, delay will be avoided in administering the remedy:
and secondly, the remedy is placed at the disposal of the poorer
inhabitants of the community. As the Committee are aware, most
of the diphtheria cases occurring in Battersea are removed for
treatment to the hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board.
It should be remembered, however, that in a considerable number
of cases it is a difficult matter to diagnose diphtheria, particularly in
slight attacks and in the earlier stages of the disease in severer
cases, and recourse has to be had to a bacteriological examination.
This gives rise to a delay of approximately twenty four hours, and
it is in regard to such cases more especially that valuable results
are to be obtained by the free provision of anti-toxin serum by
the sanitary authority, enabling the medical attendant to make
use of the remedy while awaiting the result of the bacteriological
examination.
I would therefore advise the Committee to recommend the
Council to avail themselves of the powers sanctioned by the new
Order. No difficulty will be found in making the necessary arrangements
for the distribution of the serum. From the enquiries I
have made with regard to the experience of some of those sanitary
authorities who have been supplying anti-toxin for some years,
I do not anticipate that the adoption of these powers will entail
any very great expenditure.
ADDENDUM.
Since writing the above report, which was ordered to be
printed and circulated amongst members of the Council at the
last Council meeting, the Health Committee at their meeting on
13th December, when the report was submitted to them decided to
adjourn the consideration of the matter for information to be
obtained as to the action taken in regard to the Order by other
Sanitary Authorities in Metropolitan and Extra-Metropolitan
districts. I herewith, with the approval of the Health Committee,
submit a summary of the replies received from 34 Sanitary