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60
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
The number of infectious diseases notified during the year is
as shown on Table XVI.
Diphtheria.
The number of cases of Diphtheria notified decreased slightly
from the previous year, from 158 in 1934, to 138 in 1935, but the
type of disease was generally more severe and 9 deaths occurred.
Every effort is made to draw the attention of Medical Practitioners
to the advisability of the early administration of Antitoxin to all
such patients as are suspected to be suffering from Diphtheria
and supplies of Antitoxin are available at the Town Hall, Fire
Stations and at the Isolation Hospital. This is provided free of
charge and can be obtained at any time of the day or night.
It has now been amply demonstrated that the resistance of
children to diphtheria can be greatly increased artificially, most of
those immunised escaping altogether from the disease and those
who do contract it having a much less severe attack than would
otherwise have been the case; and as a result a report on the
question was submitted to the Public Health and Medical Services
Committee on 20th May, 1935, and the following recommendations
were approved:—
1. That this facility be provided for children between the
ages of 1 and 14 years (bearing in mind, however, that
immunisation gives its best results in children under 6
years of age).
2. That a suitable request form be signed by the parent or
guardian of each child.
3. That the necessary testing and inoculation be carried out
by your medical staff.
4. That the choice of agent and the method of immunisation
be left to the discretion of your Medical Officer of Health.
5. That a preliminary Schick Test be only performed in the
case of children over 9 years of age.
6. That a final Schick Test be performed in all cases three
to four months after the completion of the course.