Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Deptford Borough]
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Diphtheria.
The following table shows the incidence and mortality from Diphtheria in 1938 as compared with previous years:—
Year | No. of Cases | Attack Rate per 1,000 population | No. of Deaths | Case Mortality per cent. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Average 1915-2 | 322 | 2.8 | 19 | 5.9 |
„ 1925-29 | 496 | 4.3 | 14 | 2.8 |
„ 1930-34 | 299 | 2.8 | 9 | 3.2 |
1935 | 301 | 3.0 | 10 | 3.3 |
1936 | 208 | 2.1 | 6 | 2.9 |
1937 | 168 | 1.7 | 3 | 1.8 |
1938 | 177 | 1.8 | 5 | 2.8 |
The Borough Council has established a clinic for the purpose of
providing means by which parents may have their children protected
by artificial immunisation. With proper safeguards as adopted there,
it may confidently be said that no risk attaches to the method.
Alum precipitated Toxoid is the prophylactic generally selected,
although, occasionally, use is made of Toxoid antitoxin floccules.
The work of the Diphtheria Immunisation Clinic has been undertaken
by Dr. Donnelly, who has very kindly furnished me with the
following Report:—
Schick testing and inoculation began in March, 1927. The figures for successive years are as follows :—
Year. | Positive. | Number of Schick Tests. | Total. | Fully Inoculated. | Partly Inoculated. | No. of Inoculations given. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Negative. | Unknown Result. | ||||||
1927 | 214 | 152 | 8 | 374 | 410 | 15 | 1233 |
1928 | 85 | 75 | 14 | 174 | 168 | 65 | 580 |
1929 | 21 | 27 | 7 | 55 | 72 | 15 | 221 |
1930 | 15 | 27 | — | 42 | 65 | 3 | 199 |
1931 | 6 | 7 | — | 13 | 17 | 5 | 58 |
1932 | 3 | — | 1 | 4 | 11 | — | 33 |
1933 | 5 | 4 | — | 9 | 32 | 1 | 97 |
1934 | 2 | 8 | — | 10 | 11 | — | 33 |
1935 | 45 | 16 | — | 61 | 164 | 14 | 514 |
1936 | 14 | 7 | — | 21 | 73 | — | 105 |
1937 | 21 | 11 | — | 32 | 131 | — | 131 |
1938—(a) Pre-school— | |||||||
— | — | — | — | 49 | — | 216 | |
(b) School age— | |||||||
23 | 23 | — | 46 | 151 |
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