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Diphtheria Carriers.—There is a clinic for diphtheria carriers held at St. Mary's Hospital, to
which 25 cases were referred by the Public Health Department during the past year.
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
33 phials of 4,000 units and 19 phials of 500 units were distributed.
Diphtheria Immunisation.—In June, 1933, a clinic for the immunisation of children against
diphtheria was inaugurated at the Welfare Centre, 232, Harrow Road, Dr. R. Cove-Smith being
appointed Medical Officer. At first one session weekly was held, but the increasing numbers of children
presenting themselves for treatment, following the distribution of leaflets at the various schools in the
Borough, necessitated the provision of additional facilities, and a second session weekly was accordingly
started in December of that year. Early in 1934 a third session was opened, this being continued until
nearly the end of the year. Two sessions weekly were continued until the week ended 16th February,
1935, when an additional session was found to be necessary. In the week ended 3rd August, two
sessions were reverted to, and in the week ended 9th November one session only was found to be
sufficient.
Towards the end of 1934 the Council, after consultation with local representatives of the medical
profession, decided to introduce a scheme for enlisting the services of private medical practitioners in
the work of diphtheria immunisation. The scheme provides for the payment to the practitioner of a
fee of 10s. for immunising treatment given to any child between the ages of one year and twelve years,
whose parent or guardian cannot reasonably be expected to afford a private fee for such treatment.
All Schick testing for the purpose of ascertaining whether the child is susceptible to diphtheria is
to be done by the Medical Officer of the Council's diphtheria immunisation clinic at the Welfare
Centre, No. 232, Harrow Road. In the case of a child sent to the clinic for a pre-immunisation test,
the result of which is negative, a fee of 2s. 6d. only is payable to the practitioner. The practitioner
is required to bear the cost of an immunising agent specified by the Medical Officer of Health, and
he is also responsible for any subsequent medical attention that may be necessary.
Dr. Cove-Smith resigned his appointment as Medical Officer, and the duties were taken over on
the 6th November by Dr. C. T. Potter.
The following report has been received from Dr. B. Cove-Smith and Dr. C. T. Potter on the
work carried out at the Clinic during the year.
"During the year 1935, 285 cases have attended the Diphtheria Immunisation Clinic for preliminary
testing. Of this number 51 were sent by local practitioners. One hundred and eightyseven
were found to be liable to infection. One hundred and thirty cases have been fully
immunised at the clinic, and a further 71 cases had not completed the course of injections when
this report was made.
In accordance with the scheme adopted towards the end of 1934, to enlist the services of local
practitioners for Diphtheria Immunisation, 276 cases have been fully immunised by them, and Schicktested
afterwards at the clinic; and a further 115 cases were in the process of immunisation at the
end of the year.
This makes a total of 592 who have taken adv antage of the facilities for immunisation under
the Borough scheme.