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17
Infective Diseases
The percentage of children vaccinated to total births was
56.7:—in Clapham, 58.2; in Putney, 69.4; in Streatham, etc.,
50.2; and in Wandsworth, 63.5.
Diphtheria.
709 cases occurred, compared with 769 in 1926. The
number of deaths was 23, compared with 25 in 1926. The
death-rate for 1927 was .06 and the case mortality was 3.2
per cent.
The disease appeared to have been of a milder type than
in 1926, when 25 deaths occurred among 769 cases, and in
1922 there were 838 cases and 76 deaths, with a case mortality
of 9.0 per cent.
The rate per 1,000 of population was 2.11:—2.08 in
Clapham; 2.81 in Putney; 1.51 in Balham; .76 in Streatham;
1.44 in Tooting; and 3.22 in Wandsworth.
Of the 709 cases, 692, or 97 per cent., were removed to
hospital and no difficulty was experienced in having cases
promptly removed.
The Medical Officers of the London County Council made
inspections of Bonneville Road, Clapham Central, Larkhall Lane,
New Park Road, Parochial, St. Andrew's Street, Stonhouse
Street, and Stowey House Open Air Schools, Clapham; All
Saints', and Hotham Road Schools, Putney; Balham Central,
Broadwater Road, Fircroft Road, Oldridge Road, Smallwood Road
and St. Mary's Schools, Balham; Fountain Road and Sellincourt
Road Schools, Tooting; Allfarthing Lane, Earlsfield, Elliott
Central, Eltringham Street, Intermediate Schools, Magdalen
Road, St. Faith's, Swaffield Road, Wandle, Warple Way and
West Hill Schools, Wandsworth.
Swabs were taken from the throats of some of the children
examined.
As the result of this swabbing, 81 cases were found to be
positive. All the cases were swabbed again and not re-admitted
to school until a negative result was obtained. Every positive
or suspicious case was visited and all necessary precautions
taken to prevent the spread of the disease.
During the year 40 tubes of anti-toxin were issued to
medical practitioners for use in cases of Diphtheria.
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