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(d) Scabies.—Forty-eight cases of scabies were brought to the notice of the
department during the year. Disinfection of bedding and blankets was carried out
in all but six cases, where the parents declined the services offered.
(e) General.—Non-notifiable infectious diseases amongst school-children are
much more easily traced than the diseases amongst adults.
As you know, the School Attendance Officers of the Education Committee are
General Inquiry Officers, and we have a lot of reliable information on which we can
act so far as infectious diseases amongst school-children are concerned.
4. BARKING HOSPITAL.
(a) Admissions.—The following is the table pf admissions, etc., in respect of
infectious diseases during 1935:—
Disease.
In
Hospital
January,
1st,
1935.
Admitted
during
the
year.
Died.
Discharged.
In
Hospital
Dec.
31st,
1935.
Scarlet Fever
69
409
–
417
61
Diphtheria (including Membranous
Croup)
68
273
14
294
33
Enteric Fever
–
3
–
3
–
Puerperal Pyrexia
–
3
*1
2
–
Pneumonia
–
13
1
9
3
Erysipelas
1
16
1
15
1
Ophthalmia Neonatorum
–
3
–
3
–
Others
–
34
2
25
7
* Cause of Death:—Puerperal Pyaemia.
(b) Number of Bed Days.—The total number of bed days in the infectious
diseases hospital during 1935 was 32,550—that is to say, an average of 89 patients
were in hospital throughout the 365 days in the year.
5. ARTIFICIAL IMMUNISATION.
I can only repeat what I said last year that our efforts to promote artificial
immunisation against diphtheria may. be said to have failed. I hold the opinion
that unless very large numbers of people are immunised, immunisation has but little
influence on the incidence and death rate from diphtheria, so that I look for no public
benefit from the amount of diphtheria immunisation which has been carried out.