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12
they can be readily reached by the mothers. Last year there were
36,710 attendances of infants at the various welfare centres.
2.—The death-rate of 8.7 (although, as I have pointed out,
this figure is inaccurate and should be lower), is also lower than
the death-rate of any London district or of any town in the outer
ring of London and, with one exception, of any town in England
with a population of 50,000 or over.
3.—More cases of smallpox have occurred in the district than
for many years. 25 cases in all were notified, and it is highly
satisfactory to be able to report that the disease did not spread
to any but the immediate contacts of the original case. The ease
with which this disease might be spread unless great precautions
were taken can be seen from the case which occurred in a local
hospital in January. A woman was removed to this hospital
from Dagenham, thought to be suffering from some acute
abdominal trouble. The pains from which she suffered were,
however, the preliminary symptoms of smallpox. It was not until
the third day of the rash that I was called in to see this case. The
rash of smallpox came out on the patient while in a ward, and in all
there were 55 direct contacts and 146 indirect contacts of the case.
4.—The effort by immunisation which was commenced in
November, 1929, to combat the outbreaks of diphtheria which were
occurring in the Beeontree and Goodmayes area of the town has
met with considerable success. It will be seen from the table in the
Report that 1,523 children have been dealt with either at school
or at the Public Health Offices. The following table shows that the
number of cases in the Beeontree and Goodmayes schools has been
reduced by nine-tenths for the months when diphtheria is most
prevalent, while the number of cases in the other schools in Ilford
has not appreciably diminished ; also that the number of cases
of diphtheria in Goodmayes ward is less than a seventh of what
it was in the corresponding period, October, 1929, to February,
1930, although the number of cases of diphtheria in the remainder
of Ilford is much the same:—
October, 1929, October, 1930,
to to
February, 1930. February, 1931.
Number of cases of diphtheria in Beeontree
and Goodmayes Schools 100 10
Number of cases of diphtheria in all the
other schools in Ilford 93 86