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8
this connection it must be remembered that before a vaccine can be
produced, the responsible organism has to be known and that full
immunity could not be attained until some weeks after the first of
two spaced injections had been given. It will thus be obvious that
there are still many serious obstacles to be overcome before we
can hope to control effectively these periodic invasions of the
influenza viruses.
Whilst on the subject of immunisation procedures, it is
gratifying to find that the County Medical Officer is able to report
that 3,467 local children were vaccinated against anterior
poliomyelitis during the year, a figure which it is anticipated will
be considerably exceeded during 1958. As this programme gathers
momentum, it is sincerely to be hoped that its beneficial effects will
make themselves felt by a greatly reduced incidence of this disease,
although in this local authority's area, we were fortunate in only
having three non-paralytic cases notified during the whole of 1957.
Another feature which is encouraging and to which I should
like to draw attention, is the considerable fall in the incidence of
dysentery and the figures for food poisoning also show a reduction.
Although over 1,400 notifications of measles were received, when
one considers that of this number only six had to be admitted to
hospital, further words are not needed to stress the generally benign
character of this disease.
Unemployment in the district has remained an insignificant
problem and we are indeed fortunate in having so many open
spaces in the district, both factors making for a happy, healthy and
contented populace. Still stressing the bright side, I should like
to draw attention to the many valuable activities undertaken in this
district by various voluntary bodies, and I am especially intrigued
by one short cryptic statement in the report of the Chislehurst and
Sidcup Old People's Welfare Committee where it says that homes
have been found for some twelve persons during the year under
their boarding out scheme. This is surely a really practical
method of dealing with the problem of the loneliness of, and
assistance to elderly persons and is to be commended greatly. Not
only can such a scheme ultimately make a great contribution to
relieving the difficulties of finding suitable institutional care for
those in the later decades of life, but if suitable homes can be found
in sufficient numbers there is little doubt the older folk would in
the majority of cases much prefer to spend their declining years in
surroundings which must inevitably be more homely to them than
in any institution however well run.
There is one more matter to which reference must be made
and that is the succ3ssful clearance of Corke's Meadow during the
course of the year. Although other difficulties may still remain
to be ironed out, from the point of view of the Public Health