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59
by way of educating the public in the absolute necessity of keeping
their colds to themselves. A deal of trouble could undoubtedly be
avoided if only everybody were taught from the earliest possible
moment to cough and sneeze direct into their handkerchiefs, and
to keep separate from common use. eating and drinking utensils.
These simple and elementary precautions would probably eventually
lead to a reduction in all the infectious diseases. This appears
as a trifling piece of advice, but if put into operation one hundred
per cent, throughout the land, would probably produce surprisingly
beneficial results to both the health and earnings of the country.
With the changes that have occured in the incidence and
severity of infectious diseases. I would again stress the need to revise
the list of notifiable diseases by making appropriate deletions and
additions; for instance, the value of notifying measles seems very
doubtful under present conditions. The scope of true prevention
does not lie with infectious diseases alone, but could well be directed.
and I believe with like success, to other diseases which at present
are common causes of invalidity and death.
Statistical details of the notifiable infectious diseases are shown
in Tables V. VI and VII in the Appendix.
SMALLPOX.
No cases were notified in 1953. Many contacts, or suspected
contacts of cases came under supervision during the year, none of
whom showed any evidence of illness.
VACCINATION.
The following figures have been furnished by the County
Medical Officer, and show the number of persons from this area
who were vaccinated against smallpox during 1953.
Year of Birth Primary Vaccination Re-vaccination
1953 356 -
1952 252 -
1951 11 -
1950 6 1
1949 2 3
1948 4 4
1947 1 7
1946 1 4
1945 1 2
1944 2 3
1943 1 3
1942 — 4
1941 — 3
1940 1 2
1939 1 1
Before 1939 34 118
Total 673 155