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95
VI.—PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER,
INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES.
2,541 notifications (other than of tuberculosis) were received, or 1,096
more than in the previous year; of these, 1,383 referred to cases of measles.
The notification rate for the whole Borough was 12.2 per 1,000 of the
population.
Notifications.
496 cases were notified daring the year, or 54 more than in the previous
year. 485 of these cases were removed to hospital. There was one death
from scarlet fever during the year. The death rate for the whole Borough
was .004 per 1,000 of the population.
Scarlet
Fever.
471 cases were notified during the year, or 224 less than in the previous
year. 466 of these cases were removed to hospital. The death rate for the
whole Borough was .05 per 1,000 of the population. There were 11 deaths
of which 10 were of children from 1 to 5 years of age, and 1 child over 5 years
of age; the case mortality was 2.3 per cent., the same as in the previous year.
Diphtheria.
This serum is supplied on request to the general practitioners of the
Borough. During the year 29 tubes, each containing 4,000 units, were issued
from the Public Health Office.
Anti-
Diphtheritic
Serum.
A clinic for the active immunisation against diphtheria was opened on
5th June, at 35, Stepney Green, under the personal clinical supervision of
Dr. King-Brown. The figures below show that in its first half-year the
clinic has fully justified its establishment and has been well patronised. The
method of immunisation adopted by Dr. King-Brown and approved by Dr.
Guy Bousfield, the Honorary Advisory Expert to the clinic, is as follows:
A preliminary visit when the Schick test for susceptibility to diphtheria is
performed, and a visit after one week to read the result of the test. If the
reading shows that the subject is naturally immune to diphtheria he is given
a certificate to that effect and no further action is taken. If susceptible, three
minute inoculations of toxoid-antitoxin mixture (T.A.M.) are given at
intervals of one week. Six weeks later a final Schick test is performed and
read a week later to ascertain if successful immunity has been established.
If so, a certificate of immunity is presented to the individual concerned. If
still susceptible, a second course of immunising inoculations may be required,
but it is only very rarely that this is found necessary. The method of
immunisation described is well established and has been proved to be entirely
harmless, and moreover causes no discomfort or inconvenience. In connection
with the clinic, a series of accurate records of cases are being kept by the
clerk at the clinic, and these will be checked with the weekly notifications of
diphtheria. The immunisation established is known to last for many years
and it can be said that those immunised very rarely contract diphtheria and
should they do so, they are most certainly protected against death from the
disease.
Cases attending the clinic are followed up by the Borough Health Visitors
in order to ensure that they complete the course. Those who leave the
Borough before the completion of their course can, in many cases, be referred
for continuation treatment to the public health department concerned.
All immunisation at the clinic is now given free.
The clinic is held every Friday at 2 p.m.
Diphtheria
Immunisation.