View report page

68
discovered—13 in the Junior Department and 7 in the Infants'
Department. Of these, 14 were found by means of the routine
swabbing done by the Medical Officer of Health. Six of the cases
were "bacteriological" and had no clinical signs.
A total of 97 visits were made by the Medical Staff in connection
with Diphtheria.
Antitoxin continued to be available for free issue to medical
practitioners at the Public Health Department during office hours
and at all times at the Fire Station, Forest Road and at Mr. Gaze's,
10, The Avenue, Highams Park. During 1932 a total of 204 phials
containing 1,420,000 units were issued.
Diphtheria and Scarlet Fever at an Institution.—A small
institution in the Borough showed a heavy incidence of Scarlet
Fever and Diphtheria.
A total of 12 definite cases of Scarlet Fever and 3 observation
cases occurred. The cases occurred in two separate series—January
to April and September to December.
A considerable number of swabs were taken from the patients,
staff (nursing and domestic) and other contacts. These were
examined and typed at the Ministry of Health Laboratory by
Doctors Griffith and Scott. The typings were as follows:—Type 1,
two ; Type 2, one; Type 63T, one; Haemolytic Streptococci
present but not typed, 7; negative, 4.
No staff were involved as patients but five nurses at one time
or another were carriers of Type 2. One case was a persistent
carrier who gave at least 12 Type 2 swabs and the carrier state was
only terminated by tonsillectomy. Two of the five nurses later
became Type 1 carriers.
At the same institution between January and May, 19 of the
patients gave positive Diphtheria swabs. Only two were definite
clinical cases, seven were indefinite and ten were non-clinical or
bacteriological cases. These clinical findings agreed with the
results of 15 virulence tests which only showed two to be fully
virulent, the remainder being non-virulent.
In July a series of nine cases occurred, all of which yielded
positive Diphtheria swabs and four of which yielded Haemolytic
Streptococci of the Franklin type. Two nurses were involved. In
three cases there were no symptoms. The remainder had temperatures
varying from 100.4° to 103.6°, no vomiting, no rash, and
obvious tonsillitis in only two cases. The patients made a quick
recovery and the clinical findings agreed with the usual experience