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The Minister of Health in Circular 28/51 advised that the investigations should be
carried out by the medical officer of the county and not by the district medical officer
of health.
Typhoid Fever
The epidemic in Aberdeen during the month of June, in which over 400 cases
of typhoid fever occurred, was caused by an imported can of corned beef containing
the typhoid bacillus.
The repercussions of this epidemic were such as to increase, to a considerable
extent, the work of the department. Many enquiries were received and much time
was spent in tracing cans bearing the same code numbers as the suspected can; 84 cans
were found and withdrawn from sale.
Tuberculosis
Twenty-four new cases were notified, giving a case rate of 0.34 per 1,000 population.
In the last decade over the country as a whole, both the case and death rates
have been more than halved. This has been due to a number of factors, improved
living standards, mass radiography, B.C.G. vaccination, eradication of tuberculosis in
cattle and last but far from least the new anti-tubercular drugs.
Notification of tuberculosis is obligatory by virtue of the Public Health (Tuberculosis)
Regulations, 1952, made under sections 143 and 283 of the Public Health Act,
1936. The County Council have a statutory responsibility under section 28 of the
National Health Service Act, 1946, for preventing tuberculosis, including B.C.G.
vaccination, and for the care and after-care of tuberculous persons. The hospital
services provide for the hospitalisation and out-patient treatment of tuberculous patients.
The Borough Council as the Local Sanitary and Housing Authority has a responsibility
for the welfare of tuberculous patients in these respects. This tripartite responsibility
demands the closest liaison to ensure that persons suffering from tuberculosis receive
comprehensive care and attention.
B.C.G. vaccination of children approaching 13 years and older continued at the
secondary schools and of 1,040 children eligible, the parents of 572 (55%) consented
to the preliminary testing, vaccination and, where necessary, chest X-ray.
Mass Radiography
A total of 5,484 persons (2,523 males and 2,961 females) attended for a chest
X-ray during the survey carried out by the North West Metropolitan Regional Hospital
Board during October/November. This figure shows an increase of just over 10%
on the survey of 1961 but is disappointing having regard to the wide publicity given
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