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81
what may be called an antidote to render them immune from Diphtheria
for a period of six to seven years, and the practical application of his
discoveries is to immune susceptible persons by these injections so that
they will not contract the disease, even if in contact with virulent cases,
and this is done nowadays universally in the case of nurses employed in
diphtheria wards.
The preliminary test can be omitted in very young children up to
four years of age. as practically all children to that age are liable to
contract the disease, the liability decreasing as age advances. These
young children should all be immunised by the three injections without
undergoing the preliminary test, and also if such older ones who are
found susceptible by the "Schick Test" were immunised the disease
would be well on its way to extermination.
The application to the "Schick Test" requires some experience and
practical knowledge to interpret the results successfully, but immunisation
without preliminary testing can be done without special knowledge
and at considerably less expense, and as mentioned above the preliminary
test of children up to four years of age is not necessary. The cost of
" Schick Test " is 2s. 3d. a phial for material, the other expenses being
regulated by the administrative method employed ; the cost for
immunisation only is about 3s. per child for material and no special
experienced administrator would need engagement for the purpose. The
outlay for syringes and other necessities would be covered by about £5,
and record keeping outfit and office expenses would amount to about
£10. For a capital outlay therefore of about £15 (if the work were
carried out by our present staff) and a running charge of about 3s. 6d.
per child the infant population could be immunised. Two hundred
children would cost £35. This number would be possible and would be
the commencement of a movement that in the future would probably
stamp out the disease with the exception of imported susceptible persons,
and as the knowledge spread among the parents, and as their confidence
increased in this method of the prevention of Diphtheria the numbers
would grow.
The annual number of deaths from this disease in the Borough has
averaged over 40 during the last five years and enormous expense is
incurred in treating other cases for a long period in isolation hospitals
who recover from the disease, these average over 800 per annum for the
last five years, at a cost to the country which is estimated at £30 per
case.