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Treatment in hospital is provided when required owing to social
or physical complications being present, but records of these admissions
are rarely received.
INFESTATIONS.
(a) Scabies.
During 1952 only 4 adults were treated by the Health Department
for this disease, compared with 11 in each of the two
preceding years and a maximum of 399 in 1944.
In view of the very small number of isolated cases now occurring
it would be preferable for them to be referred to the Medical
Officer of Health in order that the contacts can be dealt with
really effectively.
(b) Vermin.
The number of reported cases of infestation also remained
small and was limited to 34 children found to have head nits in
school. Almost all of these were only casual infestations which
immediately responded to the treatment which was mainly provided
by the parents. A concerted effort is being made to deal with
the few families most prone to reinfestation.
THE CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
Immunisation when practicable is the most effective of the
measures for the control of infectious disease, and during 1952
the experimental work on whooping cough immunisation reached
a stage at which it became justifiable to inaugurate an official
scheme for the provision of this treatment.
The comparatively small risk of innoculations influencing the
onset of poliomyelitis is now well-recognised, especially when precautionary
measures are instituted as soon as the necessity arises.
It should certainly not deter parents from agreeing to immunisation
against diphtheria and whooping cough, which treatment will only
be given if the time is considered opportune by the doctor
concerned.
DIPHTHERIA IMMUNISATION.
It is still very important that the parents of all children
should ensure that they are kept as highly immune as possible
against diphtheria by early immunisation and periodical enhancing
doses.
The following table shows the treatment given during 1952,
and the proportion of children estimated to have been immunised
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