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should be sorry to see more use made of swabs, as even
with a local laboratory, no report could be given in under
15 hours, and with severe diphtheria of the gravis type
every hour's delay in the administration of serum means
added risk to life.
Anti-toxin is supplied free by the Council, and one
is pleased to note that the Medical Practitioners use it
in the very early stages of the disease. This anti-toxin
can be obtained by any Medical Practitioner at the
Health Department, 14, Brampton Road, Bexleyheath,
during office hours, and after office hours, an emergency
supply can be procured from the Bexley Cottage
Hospital.
424 swabs were forwarded to the County Laboratory
for bacteriological examination.
The average length of stay in Isolation Hospitals
during 1937 has been as follows: —
Diphtheria Patients 42 days
Immunisation against Diphtheria.
In February 1937 the Council approved a scheme for
immunisation against diphtheria and sessions have been
held weekly at the Welling Clinic and fortnightly at the
Bexleyheath Clinic after child welfare sessions. Yen'
little propaganda has been used beyond display of notices
at the child welfare clinics, advice by the medical officers
and health visitors, and a letter to the parents of children
as they become eight months old. The material used has
been T.A.M. (Burroughs Wellcome) and three fortnightly
injections of 1 c.c. have been given, the reactions noted
have been negligible. Smaller doses with four or five injections
have been used where a child has a history of
asthma, hay fever, etc. Schick testing has not been
carried out, and until a simple test is devised which will
give better and more information that the Schick, there
appears to be no need for its use. Besides involving more
pricks for the child to bear, no more information can be
given to the parent than one already knows after having
given 3x1 c.c. injections of T.A.M. The after history
of so many inoculated children throughout the country is
now well known, and the fact that one knows that the
machinery for production of anti-toxin has been initiated
is deemed sufficient.
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