View report page

73
Measles occurred in 1924, when no less than 1226 cases were notified;
the disease was of a mild type and only 6 deaths occurred.
The crowded state of the population must, of course, have an
adverse influence on the incidence of infectious disease; it is fairly
obvious that a person sickening with an infectious disease will more
readily infect others when the whole family lives and sleeps in a one
or two-roomed tenement, and especially is this so when the disease is
one that principally affects young children.
Diphtheria.
For several years up to the end of 1922, there had been a constant
difficulty in keeping a certain Girls' Home, containing approximately
150 girls and 25 staff, free from Diphtheria.
During November and December of 1913, 6 cases were notified.
In January, 1914, 3 cases were reported, and 11 in February.
In February, 1914, the whole of the inmates were examined
bacteriologically by Dr. Dennis Embleton, with the result that in 22
cases cultures revealed the true diphtheria bacillus. In 43 cases
diphtheriod bacilli were found, and practically all the throats examined
showed the presence of streptococci and Hoffman's bacillus. All the
cases of true Klebbs Loeffler and all doubtful cases were isolated at
once.
This led to the thorough over-hauling of the building, and it was
decided to recommend a complete sanitary survey and some radical
alterations. Thus the drains were renewed, floors were taken out and
renewed, and in fact, everything that could be thought of was done,
the cost of the renovation being upwards of £10,000. The work was
completed in the early weeks of 1915.
Following this, a period of freedom from diphtheria supervened.
There were no cases notified during 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919 and
1920. In November, 1921, 20 cases occurred and these were dealt with
by isolation.
There followed a period of quiescence, but 1922 showed two
smaller outbreaks, thus: —In February, 1922, 3 cases were notified; in
November, 3 cases; and in December of the same year, 2 cases.
It was resolved to subject the whole of the inmates to the Schick
test and to immunisation with toxin anti-toxin. This was done,
and it proved that the proctdure of first applying the Schick test and
subsequently immunising with toxin anti-toxin all the 142 inmates
was a work of considerable magnitude. This will be more readily