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99
Home Isolation.—Five cases were isolated at home. Frequent visits are made
by the district sanitary inspectors to all cases isolated at home, in order to ensure
that proper precautions are being taken for preventing the spread of the disease.
Employees of the Royal Arsenal are not allowed to remain at work unless cases are
removed to hospital, or a certificate of efficient home isolation is issued by the Medical
Officer of Health. No certificates were issued during the year.
Antitoxin.—A supply of Diphtheria Antitoxin is kept at the Town Hall, the
Plumstead Library and the Eltham Library, and is available for medical practitioners
on application, at cost price, or free where there is inability to pay. The amount
supplied during the year was 118,000 units. The total cost to the Council was
£7 3s. 0d., of which, £4 16s. Od. was recovered.
Diphtheria Immunisation.
In June the Council considered the need of introducing a scheme for the active
immunisation of children against diphtheria, and after negotiations with the Woolwich
Division of the British Medical Association a scheme was agreed upon, by which
children living in the Borough would be immunised by local medical practitioners
on behalf of the Council, the Council undertaking to appoint an expert for diphtheria
immunisation work who would prescribe the technique to be followed in all cases,
and who would undertake all Schick Testing which might be necessary.
The Council appointed as their expert Dr. William Smith.
The scheme is fully described in a Circular which was sent to all medical practitioners
in the Borough. It reads as follows:—
"Subject to the conditions mentioned below, the Council of the Metropolitan
Borough of Woolwich have agreed to pay a fee of 10s. Od. to medical practitioners
who undertake immunisation for a Woolwich child against diphtheria.
(a) The medical practitioner's name must be on a panel prepared by the
Medical Officer of Health.
(b) The Council will not pay a fee in respect of any child under the ageof
one year or over the age of twelve years.
(c) Before immunising a child, the medical practitioner must obtain the
written consent of the parent or guardian.
(d) The child must be given a prescribed course of immunisation.
(e) The diphtheria prophylactic selected by the medical practitioner must
be approved by the Medical Officer of Health and obtained from a firm licensed
under the Therapeutic Substances Acts.