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During the year the number of bacteriological examinations made in connection
with diphtheria was 1,188. In fifteen instances the source of infection, as
represented by a previous case in the same household, was established.
Diphtheria Immunization.— The desirability of an increase in immunization
work, and one of the methods adopted to effect it, was mentioned in the introduction
to this section (page 39). At the diphtheria immunization clinic the total number of
attendances was 1,257. The number of persons who received the primary Schick
test was 207, and of these 143 were naturally immune and were not immunized.
During the year 134 of the children completed the course of inoculations and 170 of
these were tested and found immune. At the end of the year 100 cases were still
under treatment or were awaiting the final Schick test.
In connection with this service I have to thank Dr. McGregor, Sister Pollard,
and Miss Heath, of the Sutton Branch of the Voluntary Aid Detachment, for the
work which they carried out during the year.
Diphtheria Carriers.— Two persistent carriers were referred by the County
Medical Officer of Health to the Carrier Clinic for treatment of school children at
the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street.
Dysentery.
During the year 1936, notifications were received of 51 cases of dysentery. Fortyfive
of these were removed to hospital, and in three other cases the patients were in
hospital when the disease supervened. Bacteriological confirmation of the presence
of the dysentery bacillus in the stools was obtained in 25 cases before the patient went
into hospital, and the diagnosis was confirmed in other cases in hospital. Information
from the various hospitals to which the patients were sent showed that ten of the
notified cases were discharged as not suffering from dysentery.