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prone to fall. There are no statistics available of the
immunisation state of Chislehurst and Sidcup children, as
since the 5th July last the records have been transferred to
Maidstone and combined with Area 7 as a whole.
MEASLES.
There were 601 cases of measles notified during the year,
of which only 6 were nursed in hospital. Like scarlet fever,
the prevalent form of measles is of an exceptionally mild
type, which is very fortunate, as severe measles epidemics
hit the young child so badly and produce in many cases a
debilitated, delicate child.
The control of measles is still in its infancy, and good
nursing and proper isolation are the most important
factors. A certain amount of work has been done using
immunising sera, but the results up to date are somewhat
indeterminate and cannot by any means be called really
satisfactory.
WHOOPING COUGH.
302 cases were notified during the year, and of these
only 8 were admitted to hospital. What has been said of
measles with regard to its mildness and control may well
be repeated in regard to whooping cough. Experiments are
constantly being conducted with different prophylactic
vaccines, but as yet none has been discovered which will
altogether satisfy the stringent tests applied by the medical
statisticians.
TUBERCULOSIS.
The following table shows the incidence of tuberculosis
during the year from the notifications received:—
Males. Females.
Primary notifications (Pulmonary) 62 52
Transfer cases (Pulmonary) 24 27
Primary notifications (Non-Pulmonary) 4 1
Transfer cases (Non-Pulmonary) 1 1
These figures may appear high, but one must take into
consideration the greatly increased facilities available for
diagnosis with the development of X-rays. This has enabled
the clinician to get his cases on the average at a much
earlier stage in the disease, with a correspondingly increased
chance of ultimate complete recovery.
The table which follows in the Appendix shews that
although the number of notified cases of tuberculosis in
Chislehurst and Sidcup has risen sharply over the last 11
years, yet the death rate has shewn no significant alteration,
a fact which tends to prove the benefit of early diagnosis.
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