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37
(iv) Nutrition.
During the year at our Ante-natal and Child Welfare Clinics
we have again continued to lay emphasis on the importance of
adequate nutrition, and to impress on all the value to be obtained
from the simpler foodstuffs.
7.—PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER,
INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES.
For purposes of description it is convenient to divide the Infectious
Diseases into two groups when dealing with this section,
viz.: the Notifiable and the Non-Notifiable.
(1). Notifiable Diseases.
(a) Diphtheria.
This disease has again remained in endemic form, without at
any time showing epidemic prevalence.
During 1938, throughout the District, 39 cases were notified
but 9 of these were notified from Oldchurch County Hospital. From
enquiries made it was ascertained chat these latter had acquired the
infection outside the District, but were not diagnosed prior to
admission, the patient being removed to Hospital for a condition
believed to be non-infectious. Under these circumstances the cases
have had to be included in the returns for this area. Last year,
excluding the Oldchurch cases, there were 62 notifications.
There has been no alteration in the method of dealing with the
removal of cases, or in the method of providing antitoxin to practitioners,
if they desire a supply.
Diphtheria Immunisation.
The details of this scheme are as outlined in my report for
1935, and there have been no alterations in the procedure. Below
is a Table setting out the work, and the results that have been
achieved during 1938.