London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Holborn 1929
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Holborn Borough]
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73
The following table gives particulars of the nine cases of diphtheria: —
TABLE IV.
| Initials | Age in years at date of Schick Test | Sex | Type of Home | Date of Schick Test | First Injection | Final Injection | Re-test | Result of Re-test | Date of onset of Diphtheria | Interval between last injection and date of onset of disease | Confirmation of diagnosis by | Character of Attack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. A.C. | 4 4/12 | M. | Artizan— moderately satisfactory; house let in lodgings | 30/1/24 | 7/2/24 | 20/2/24 (Third) | none | — | 18/3/25 | 13 months | Metropolitan Asylums Board (N.E. Hospital) | Very severe |
| 2. G.L. | 6 5/12 | M. | Higher Artizan— model dwellings | 4/4/23 | 11/4/23 | 25/4/23 (Third) | none | — | 29/5/25 | 13 months | Metropolitan Asylums Board (N.E. Hospital) | Very mild |
| 3. M.T. | 3 3/12 | F. | Higher Artizan— model dwellings | 24/9/24 | 1/10/24 | 15/10/24 (Third) | none | — | 5/4/26 | 18 months | Metropolitan Asylums Board (N.E. Hospital) | Mild |
| 4. L.P. | 6 6/12 | F. | Higher Artizan— part of private house | 11/11/26 | 17/11/26 | 1/12/26 (Third) | none | — | 23/12/26 | 22 days* | Metropolitan Asylums Board (N. W. Hospital) | Severe |
| 5. R.H. | 7 | M. | Residential, separate private house | 28/9/27 | 5/10/27 | 19/10/27 (Third) | none | — | 21/10/27 | 2 days* | Cuddington Isolation Hospital | Mild |
| 6. P.P. | 1 6/12 | F. | Artizan— model dwellings | 5/9/23 | 12/9/23 | 26/9/23 (Third) | none | — | 26/10/27 | 4 years | Metropolitan Asylums Board (N.E. Hospital) | Mild |
| 7. J.F. | 1 16/12 | F. | Higher Artizan— model dwellings | 13/5/25 | 20/5/25 | 10/6/25 (Third) | yes | negative 11/11/25 | 19/2/28 | 2 9/12years | Metropolitan Asylums Board (N.E. Hospital) | Mild |
| 8. V.C. | 3 5/12 | F. | Poor, one room; house let in lodgings | 9/4/24 | 30/4/21 | 18/6/24 (Third) | yes | negative 12/9/24 | 21/2/28 | 3 8/12 years | Metropolitan Asylums Board (N.E. Hospital) | Mild attack of nasal diphtheria |
| 9. W..T. | 3 3/12 | F. | Fair, two rooms; house let in lodgings | 12/1/27 | 19/1/27 | 9/3/27 (Third) | yes | negative 19/10/27 | 15/4/29 | 2 1/12years | Metropolitan Asylums Board (N.W. Hospital) | Mild |
| *These two cases occurred before the elapse of 9 months, the period laid down at Edinburgh as required to secure artificial immunisation. | ||||||||||||
The above table shows that only three of the children were re-tested after the last injection. It cannot be assumed that immunity
invariably follows the administration of three immunising injections, nor that immunity even when once established is invariably
permanent. Drs. Parish and Okell have shown that of 440 Schick positive children who were rendered Schick negative by
immunisation, 5 per cent.were found to be positive when retested 1-7 years later.