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63
or in spoonfuls they would agree to it. They object, in fact, to the introduction of
animal products by means of a hypodermic syringe into the human body, but continued
propaganda is sure to produce its results.
The aim of everyone who takes up the work must be to get all the children living
in the area immunised as soon after they reach the age of 6 months as possible. In
Holborn we have not reachcd this stage yet; the history of vaccination against small
pox suggests we never shall. But a local health authority is justified in considering
that it has done all in its power to prevent loss of life and illness from diphtheria if it
offers immunisation.
It might be expected that if the immunisation were carried out among the
school population in a large town the parents would come to regard the procedure
as more ordinary, and be prepared to allow the younger children to be immunised
at infant welfare centres. Apparently it cannot be too often repeated that it is
immunisation at a very early age that we want carried out; if it is delayed till
school age half the deaths will have occurred. In London during five years
1921-25, of the total deaths from diphtheria, 57 per cent. occurred under five years
of age. Certainly if the immunisation could be completed at one visit the energy
spent in looking up those failing to attend could be used in getting new recruits,
and the parents would bo spared much trouble.
Scarlet Fever.
There were 84 notifications of scarlet fever. All the 84 were removed to
hospital and subsequently four were returned from hospital " not scarlet fever."
In connection with five of the cases during the year, seven notifications of
"secondary" cases were received. Two of these, ultimately removed to hospital,
were found to be not suffering from scarlet fever. These secondary cases are
exclusive of nine nurses at a hospital in the Borough who were notified as suffering
from this disease, from the same hospital 30 in-patients were notified as so
suffering. None was resident in Holborn.
Four "return" cases were notified, i.e., cases occurring within 28 days of
the return from hospital to the same house of a previous case of scarlet fever.
Two of the "return" cases were found, on admission to hospital, not to be
suffering from scarlet fever.
There was one death from this disease.
12,294 cases of scarlet fever were notified in London with 82 deaths.