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Diphtheria Carriers.—There is a clinic for diphtheria carriers held at St. Mary's Hospital,
but only a small number of cases attend during the course of a year. These are mostly
contacts of acute diphtheria cases sent by medical practitioners for treatment.
Anti-Diphtheritic Serum.—This is stocked at the Town Hall and supplied to medical
practitioners on request for the use of patients who are too poor to obtain such serum
privately. During the year 52 phials of 4,000 units and 18 phials of 500 units were distributed.
Schick Test.—No use was made of this test during the year.
SMALLPOX.
No cases of this disease were brought to notice during the year, but a number of
persons who had been exposed to risk of infection from cases which had occurred in other
districts, were kept under observation until all danger of their developing the disease
was over.
During the year all vaccinations of smallpox contacts were performed by the Public
Vaccinator. None were performed by the Medical Officer of Health under the Public Health
(Smallpox Prevention) Regulations, 1917.
VACCINATION.
There are two vaccination districts in the Borough, one consisting of the Paddington
Hospital, for which the Medical Superintendent, Dr. W. G. Bendle, acts as Public Vaccinator,
and the other of the rest of the Borough, the Public Vaccinator being Dr. S. Denovan Adam.
Following the resignation of Mr. W. J. Hughes, Mr. T. E. Rainger was appointed
Vaccination Officer as from the 1st July, 1931. The appointment is a part time one, Mr.
Rainger also holding a position on the clerical staff of the Public Health Department.
During the year no primary vaccinations or re-vaccinations were performed in the
Paddington Hospital. In the rest of the Borough 730 infants under one year of age, and 46
persons over that age were successfully vaccinated by the Public Vaccinator, by whom also
29 persons were re-vaccinated who had been successfully vaccinated at some previous time.
The latest return available as to the state of vaccination in the Borough is for the year
1930. This shows that 60-9 per cent, of the children whose births were registered during that year
were successfully vaccinated, and that 20-0 per cent, were exempted on production of statutory
declarations of conscientious objection. Insusceptibility, postponements, removals, deaths,
and not traced, accounted for the remaining 191 per cent. No legal proceedings were taken
during the year 1931 for non-compliance with the provisions of the Vaccination Acts.
CHICKEN-POX.
Chicken-pox has been notifiable in Paddington since November 28th, 1922, but the sections
of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, dealing with disinfection, exposure to infection, etc.
are not in force as regards this disease.