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in Bromley. However, experience elsewhere in this
country, and in other countries, has definitely shown that
immunisation effectively carried out has definitely not
only reduced the incidence rate hut the death rate as
well.
Diphtheria, as is well known, is a serious and
frequently fatal disease in children, and yet being one
that can be controlled by immunisation, it is surprising
that the request for immunisation is not greater than it
is, and that the general practitioner should make so
little use of the facilities offered at the Clinic. Until
the private medical practitioner takes a little more
interest in preventive medicine there can be no reasonable
hope of this vitally important branch of medicine
being otherwise practiced than by full-time medical
officers. However, the statistics will show that the
Clinic in Bromley is by no means idle, and that the
endeavour to immunise children before they enter school
life is not entirely a negative one. One would like to
have more time available for this important work, as
I am convinced that more value will result from it, than
will result from the present inefficient scheme in the
organisation of vaccination against smallpox. One must
not compare the two, the modus operandi is entirely
different, and that while reactions to diphtheria immunisation
are practically negligible, this is not always so
in vaccination against smallpox.
Diphtheria Immunisation Clinic,
Statistics, 1931.
Total number Schick Tested 114.
Found to be positive 71
Found to be negative 43
Not primarily Schick Tested 59
Total number who received full course of
injections 130
Total number re-tested 130
1st Re-teat. 2nd 3rd Re-test. Re-test.
Found to be positive 10 3
Found to be negative 120 7