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be the cause of much food poisoning in the country.
Its sporing characteristic does make it most important that food should be
properly cooked and rapidly cooled if not eaten promptly. The reheating
process on the subsequent day only serves to increase the population of the
organism if all were not killed by the cooking process in the first instance.
Diphtheria is still absent from the above list and one hopes that the state
of immunisation of children will not deteriorate because of the lack of alarm or
scares over outbreaks.
There seems to be a growing interest in the poliomyelitis vaccination
scheme despite the early setbacks. It is to be hoped that when the full
supplies of vaccine are available the results of the vaccination will be as
startling as that of the diphtheria immunisation scheme.
The polio outbreak which occurred during the year was our first since the
war. Although the source of infection of the original case was never fully
proved all cases had a connection with one school. There were altogether
fifteen suspected cases of which nine were confirmed. The usual precaution of
isolating contacts was followed, and with the excellent co-operation and
assistance received from the County Medical Officer and the School Authorities I
am sure that we kept the outbreak to a minimum and generally maintained a sense
of security in the parents during, what was for most of them, a very trying
period.
Two further isolated cases occurred later in the year, not connected with
the major outbreak. It is most difficult to prove any source of infection
with such individual cases.
The cases of Tuberculosis removed for treatment are usually sent to Clare
Hall Sanatorium, South Mimms, other patients with an infectious disease being
sent to Coppett's Wood Hospital, Muswell Hill, N.10.
INTERNAT IONAL VACCMATION CERTIFICATES.
At the end of 1952 a new form was introduced for International Vaccination
Certificates requiring authentication of the signature of the doctor performing
vaccination or inoculation of persons proceeding overseas. During the year