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17
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.
The Vaccination Officer is Mr. T. E. Rainger, who was appointed to that position in 1931. The
appointment is a part-time one, Mr. Rainger also holding a position on the clerical staff of the Public
Health Department.
The latest return available as to the state of vaccination in the Borough is for the year 1932.
This shows that 60.1 per cent. of the children whose births were registered during that year were
successfully vaccinated, and that 16.6 per cent. were exempted on production of statutory declarations
of conscientious objection. Insusceptibility, postponements, removals, deaths, and not traced,
account for the remaining 23.3 per cent.
During the year 1933 no primary vaccinations were performed in the Paddington Hospital. In
the rest of the Borough 743 infants under one year of age, and 70 persons over that age were successfullv
vaccinated by Dr. Denovan Adam, by whom also 34 persons were re-vaccinated who had been successfully
vaccinated at some previous time.
Of children born in the Borough and those transferred from other districts the total number
vaccinated by Public Vaccinators and other Medical Practitioners was 1377.
Legal proceedings were taken for non-compliance with the provisions of the Vaccination Acts
in 19 cases. Of these 14 were successfully vaccinated after the proceedings had been commenced.
Adjournment (sine die), penalties and cases withdrawn, account for the balance.
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.
During 1933, 364 certificates were received from medical practitioners. In addition 178 cases
were reported from other sources, making a total of 542 for the year. The greatest prevalence occurred
during the second quarter of the year, the cases for that period numbering 212.
Chicken-pox is not usually nursed in an institution, but 40 cases received institutional treatment
for various reasons.
In view of the prevalence of smallpox in other parts of London and the resemblance between
chicken-pox and smallpox, a large number of cases of chicken-pox reported were visited by the Medical
Officer of Health to verify the diagnosis.
TYPHOID FEVER AND CONTINUED FEVER.
Six cases of typhoid fever and one case of continued fever were notified in 1933.
In cases where the diagnosis of typhoid fever cannot be made with certainty but there is a strong
likelihood of the disease being present, local doctors are encouraged to obtain early hospital treatment
for the patients by notifying them as having continued fever.
Five cases of typhoid fever and the case of continued fever received hospital treatment.
There were no deaths from either of these diseases.
MEASLES.
On the application of the Council, the Regulations providing for the notification of cases of measles
were revoked by the Minister of Health, the Rescission Order coming into operation on 20th March,
1933. The disease had been notifiable in the Borough since 1914 under various Orders and Regulations.
The Order made by the London County Council on 1st April, 1903, applying to measles, Sections
60-65, 68-70 and 72 of the Public (Health) London Act, 1891, still remains in force. This Order enables
local authorities to disinfect after measles and to safeguard the public in several ways against spread
of infection.
From 1st January to 19th March, 1933, 103 cases of measles were certified by medical practitioners,
and iu addition 24 cases came to the knowledge of the Department through reports from schools, parents,
etc. The number of cases reported during the remainder of the year was 158, bringing the total for
the year to 285 cases, as compared with 1,707 cases in 1932 and 659 cases iu 1931.
In the following table the 285 cases are distributed among the various wards of the Borough in
four-weekly periods,