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the causes of road accidents, industrial accidents and home accidents
have been investigated and publicised for many years, it is only during
recent years that attention has been directed to the cause of still births
and especially to the social causes of the increasing illegitimacy rate
and its consequences. When larger units of Local Government have
been established facilities for such investigations may be increased and
there may be more intensive local propaganda on the prevention of
these social problems.
Infectious Diseases
In the early part of the year the threat of an outbreak of Smallpox
arising from indirect contact with a reported case in Woolwich and
another in Hornchurch was ever present. Beckenham was fortunately
spared the experiences of Bradford and South Wales. Nevertheless the
threat resulted in a greatly increased demand for Smallpox vaccination,
especially for those travelling to Europe. There was generally a greater
awareness of the value of vaccination. The restrained advice of Medical
Practitioners and the excellent co-operation and information service of
the press obviated a great deal of alarm in the Borough which was
developing although no suspected case had been reported.
Considering the number who holiday in out of the way places on
the Continent especially in parts of Spain and on the Mediterranean
Coast the occasional importation of a case or carrier of Typhoid Fever
is not surprising. It is fortunate that treatment can now be so successful
and the criteria of cure can be so exact as is illustrated by the history
of two cases described in the Infectious Diseases Section of the report.
The Authority received in March a valuable booklet on active
immunisation against Infectious Diseases which among other matters
advised that all persons who intended to travel to countries where there
was risk of contracting these infections should be effectively vaccinated
against Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fevers. Reaction to these injections
though common is rarely severe. Referring to the vaccination of
travellers who might have to go abroad at short notice the Ministry was
not able to lay down hard and fast rules but stated that vaccination
though incomplete, given prior to departure, might be of some protection
against infection on arrival.
The booklet also advised that both inactivated and attenuated
vaccines against Measles have been prepared but they are still in the
experimental stage and none is at present available for general use.
Though Measles has become a milder disease it remains extremely
infectious and debilitating and a vaccine at least as effective as that in
present-day use for Whooping Cough prevention would be welcome.
No cases of Poliomyelitis were reported and generally there was
little notifiable infectious disease. It is impossible to record the number
of viral infections but today these constitute the main infectious
hazard to health. Fortunately the majority are mild and therapy is
specific.