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Some of the children attending our Child-Welfare Clinics
were also given some of the vaccine. The figures are too small for
any proof but in view of the extreme infectiousness of the disease,
and the liability of most young children to contract it when exposed
to the infection, we are of the opinion that its use was beneficial and
that some were saved from an attack and that others had whooping
cough in an attenuated form. Its prophylactic use undoubtedly
opens a field of inquiry and usefulness in Day Nurseries and
childrens' wards in hospital. Persons in charge of these institutions
know how difficult it is to prevent the admission of children who may
be suffering from coughs which are the early stages of whooping
cough, and how easily the disease can be spread.
INFLUENZA.
There was an increase in the number of deaths from Influenza.
The years 1934, 1935, and 1936 were particularly free of Influenza,
but in December, 1936, there was a widespread increase in the
incidence of Influenza throughout the kingdom, and, we, in common
with all districts in and around London, suffered from the visitation.
At one time, Influenza was so widespread and prevalent in the
district that the Council decided to open a ward at the fever hospital
for the accommodation of patients suffering from the disease. We
had heard of instances where every member of the family had been
stricken at the same time, and there was no one to attend the
patients. Although not of a severe type, the incidence was widespread.
Yet, when accommodation was offered only two persons
took advantage of the facilities; the reason probably was, as started
above, the mild type of the outbreak.
Influenza is a disease with which we are all familiar, and a
certain train of symptoms are usually associated with it, but it is
admitted that our knowledge of the disease is lacking in exactness
One reason is the fact that the term Influenza has been used to
designate a variety of conditions in which the upper respiratory
tract is involved. The Influenza which occurs in epidemic years,
is probably a virus disease, but many of the outbreaks which occur
in non-epidemic years and are termed Influenzas are not caused at
any rate by the same virus. A great deal of prominence was given
to last year's epidemic in the lay press because of the fact that the
disease could be reproduced in ferrets, and great hopes were raised
that a serum or a vaccine would be found for the illness.
If we are dealing with a virus disease, it differs in some
respects from most virus diseases, though in other respects. Its
behaviour is similar to that of other known virus diseases. The
epidemic last year spread very rapidly, and quickly reached its peak
It was widely prevalent here for about a month. Its spread in a