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high as that protected against diphtheria, the results of inoculation
will become increasingly apparent. Until that time arrives, there is
evidence that our present policy is correct. We are endeavouring
to persuade mothers to have their children inoculated against
pertussis at or about the second month of life. As pertussis remains
one of the major fatal diseases of infancy during the first six
months of a child's life, early inoculation will, we believe, tide the
child over that dangerous period. Thereafter, as I have already
pointed out, the danger progressively diminishes.
Food Poisoning (including Sonne Dysentery).
Fifteen cases of food poisoning and 39 cases of dysentery were
reported during the year, as against 17 cases of food poisoning and
17 cases of dysentery during 1955.
I must again state that these figures are only useful for purposes
of comparison, as we know perfectly well that many cases of food
poisoning and dysentery are never brought to our notice or even
to the notice of the general practitioner. The scheme set out in my
Annual Report for 1954 relating to the exclusion from school of
cases of diarrhoea, with or without sickness, continues to work
satisfactorily. It would be too soon yet to state categorically that
this scheme has reduced the incidence of dysentery among school
children, but we certainly do know that it has eased the work of
our already overburdened Public Health Inspectors, without appear'
ing in any way to have increased the number of cases in our
schools.
It is also interesting to note that the hygienic precautions to
which I referred when dealing with the spread of poliomyelitis in
schools, apply equally to the spread of dysentery and that more
recent bug-bear winter vomiting. All our schools are visited as
soon as we receive information that multiple cases of dysentery or
winter vomiting have occurred. In this connection, I would take
this opportunity of thanking our head teachers for their prompt,
invaluable co-operation. We are in this way enabled to take
immediate action. In the spread of infectious diseases, immediate
action may save endless trouble at a later date. This fact is
particularly evident in the case of intestinal infection.
Para-typhoid Fever.
No case of para-typhoid fever was notified during 1956, as
against four cases in 1955. The difficulty recorded in my Annual
Report for 1955, relating to infected egg products, has therefore
not recurred, although we are constantly on our guard against the
occurrence of cases which can be ascribed to this or to a similar
source.
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