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9
The incidence of infectious disease was lower in 1925 than
in 1924, and much lower in the last quinquennium than in
the previous five years. At the end of the year there were
1,628 cases of pulmonary and 528 cases of non-pulmonary
tuberculosis, making a total of 2,156 cases known to be living
in the Borough, a decrease on the figures for 1924. This
decrease has been brought about mainly by the revision of
the register which was rendered possible by the Public Health
(Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1924.
During recent years important developments have taken
place in the investigation of the origin and prevention of
diphtheria and scarlet fever. In the case of diphtheria, where
the discovery of the causative organism, about 30 years ago.
opened up a great field for research into infectious disease,
progress has been very rapid. The most recent investigations
have proved of extreme importance from the public health
point of view since they embody certain aspects of preventive
medicine which particularly appeal to a local authority.
Taking diphtheria as an example, the work is based on the
fact that a certain proportion of the population is naturally
immune from the disease, while the remainder is susceptible.
This susceptibility to the disease can be determined by a
simple test known as the Schick test, which depends upon the
fact that a small dose of diphtheria toxin (i.e., the poison
elaborated by the microbe of diphtheria) injected into the
skin of an individual is followed by a slight local reaction in a
susceptible case, while there is no such reaction in the immune.
Those who show the reaction and are therefore liable to take
diphtheria, are termed "Schick positives," and on them a
protective immunity may be conferred by inoculation of a
mixture of toxin and antitoxin. The test is very simple and
neither it nor the subsequent inoculations cause any particular
distress to the individual. The results so far have been very