View report page

29
???
??? cases occurred during 1941 and it is regrettable
that 3 cases died - equivalent to nearly 10 per
cent of cases.
Attempts to control the spread of diphtheria by the
time-honoured methods of notification, removal and disin
fection have for all practical purposes reached their
that of usefulness and "hospitalisation does not
control diphtheria, it only promotes the salvage of the
diphtheria patient". The reason for this is that the
??? is spread by direct and fairly intimate contact
vith a case, or "carrier". Occasionally milk or recently
Infected articles as spoons or pencils may be responsible
for spread of infection.
In recent years it has come to be generally recognised.
that in dealing with diphtheria the only procedure
even under modern social conditions, which can effectively
reduce the incidence of the disease is to employ methods
of artificial immunisation. Thus it is that everything
is being done at the present time to intensify that
campaign for protective immunisation against diphtheria
throughout the country. I am satisfied that general
Propaganda methods in Bromley will not materially
increase the number of cases for immunioation but we are
concentrating on the individual approach through school
clinics, wolfare centres and private schools.
We may claim that approximately only 50 per cent of
the children in the town, under 15 years of rage, have been
immunised, but until at least 30 per cent of children of
pre-school age and at least 70 per cent of those of school
age have been immunised, no general effect on the
incidence of diphtheria can be reasonably expected.
The work of the Immunisation Clinic for 1941 is
indicated in the following figures: