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55
SCARLET FEVER.
Notifications reached the very low level of 14 during the year
and this despite the fact that it is no longer the practice to exclude
child contacts from school. One case was admitted to hospital
but the general run of cases is now so mild and uncomplicated that
normally very little anxiety is occasioned by this illness. In
addition, some cases are so mild and atypical that extreme difficulty
may be experienced in arriving at a definite diagnosis and it may
well be that cases are occurring which do not receive medical
attention, having been considered merely as a slight throat infection.
There were no "return cases," and no deaths occurred in the
area from this disease during 1956.
SMALLPOX.
Another year has passed without any cases of this disease but
it is still an ever present potential menace against which our
defences must always be kept deployed.
The policy of offering re-vaccination annually to all members
of the staff of the Public Health Department has been maintained.
It is interesting to note that during the year as many as 576
International Certificates of Vaccination have passed through the
hands of the department for purposes of authenticating doctors'
signatures.
I am indebted to the County Medical Officer for the following
figures shewing the current position with regard to vaccination in
Bromley.
A total of 663 residents received primary vaccination and 88
re-vaccination during 1956.
TUBERCULOSIS.
The total of new notifications received during the year was 44.
a drop of 4 compared with the previous year. The fact that 15 of
these 44 cases occurred in the age group 45-64 indicates how this
disease appears to be affecting to a greater and greater extent
those of middle age rather than the young adult who formerly
bore the brunt of this infection. There was only one death from
this disease in the area during 1956.