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(6) Smallpox or Typhus Fever: Patients suffering or suspected to
be suffering from these complaints are admitted to special hospitals.
(c) Tuberculosis: Arrangements for admission are made by the
staff of the Tuberculosis Service, mostly to special but sometimes to
general hospitals.
Exclusion of Contacts.
Except for the exclusion from school of child contacts of those
suffering from one of a number of infectious complaints, exclusion of
contacts is practised only in those rare instances where, because of the
nature of his work, there is risk of the contact spreading infection to
others.
Disinfection.
Except after cases of smallpox, typhoid fever, tuberculosis and
scabies, and in any exceptional cases approved by the Medical Officer of
Health, where disinfection cannot be carried out in the home, terminal
fumigation and removal of bedding and other articles for stoving after
the commoner notifiable infections is not carried out by the Council, the
household being instructed as to the precautionary measures to be taken
Where householders still request that fumigation or stoving be carried
out, a charge is made, 7s. 6d. for fumigating the room, and 10s. Od. for
the stoving of the first load, and 5s. Od. for any subsequent load.
DIPHTHERIA
Although 15 persons were admitted to the Isolation Hospital suspected
to be suffering from diphtheria, in not one was the diagnosis confirmed.
In 1946 there were 17 cases; in 1947 six; in 1948 none; in 1949 one,
a nasal infection; in 1950 one, the first faucial infection for over three
years; and in 1951 none.
To-day, more children are immunised against diphtheria than are
vaccinated against smallpox. Up to 1948, it was a statutory obligation
on a parent to have his child vaccinated. There was, however, provision
by which those parents who had a conscientious objection to the practice
being excused. Such use was made of this provision that as many
children were not vaccinated as were done. Some felt that the compulsory
element, so far from increasing the numbers treated, might have the
opposite effect. Such persons hoped that the removal of that element
under the National Health Service Act might be followed by an increase
in the numbers vaccinated. They will have been disappointed in their hope
as the numbers vaccinated, so far from increasing, have in fact fallen.
That so many mothers have their children immunised against diphtheria,
although they do not have them vaccinated against smallpox, is probably
because to many diphtheria is still a very real fear, whereas smallpox is
to them a more indefinite risk. If this is the explanation for the different
extent to which these protective measures are carried out, then it is all
the more necessary that every effort should be taken to see that substantial
numbers of children are protected against the risk of contracting
diphtheria, because with the passage of years, diphtheria in its turn may
cease to be the real fear that it is to so many parents. Diphtheria has