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slides in the local cinemas have been carried out as in former years.
All children attending Infant Welfare Centres are offered this
service, and those who have previously been immunised are encouraged
on their entrance to school, to receive a further dose known
as a " boosting " dose which augments the protection afforded by
the initial course of immunisation. It will be noted in the body of
the report that only three children who had received protective
treatment were subsequently notified as suffering from Diphtheria ;
in all these cases recovery ensued. Unfortunately, one child aged
four years died from Diphtheria, and he had not received any
prophylactic treatment.
Reports on the research work on immunisation against
Whooping Cough are becoming more encouraging, and there is
reason to hope that an effective antigen will be at our disposal in
the fairly near future. As has been mentioned previously, however,
it would be unwise to embark upon a scheme for general immunisation
against this disease until an efficient vaccine is in production.
ICE CREAM.
Much controversy has been going on over a
long period regarding the control of the
manufacture and distribution of ice cream. It has been argued
that standards of fat and total solids should be laid down in
order to ensure that ice cream attains a certain level of food value.
When one considers ice cream, it is doubtful whether the consumers
really pay much attention as to the amount of nutriment they are
ingesting ; the real reason for taking this commodity is that it is
refreshing and palatable, particularly so where children are concerned.
With the limitation imposed upon the ice cream trade at
the present time, I suggest that the question of minimum standards
for fat and solids should be disregarded ; it is all a matter of
quantity or quality. With regard to purity of ice cream, this is an
entirely different matter, and premises for the production and or
reconstitution of ice cream are inspected at regular intervals and
samples are taken for analysis.
A comment I should like to make on this is that as soon as
conditions and supplies so warrant, I would press for ice cream to
be sold wrapped and prohibit its sale in the form of wafers and
cornets.
COMMUNAL
FEEDING.
Much attention has been directed recently
towards the possible dangers arising from
communal feeding, and incidents have arisen
where outbreaks of Food Poisoning have been widespread amongst
persons using canteens and restaurants. It is all the more necessary
to pay particular regard to the inspection, preparation and handling
of food and the hygiene of kitchens and eating and drinking utensils.
The safety factor is largely influenced by the intelligent co-operation