View report page

68
which inadequate precautions were taken as a result of inadequate
knowledge, with the result that disasters occurred which brought
the method into severe ill repute, so much so that in one State it has
been entirely prohibited. Further continued experiments have
however proved that with the modifications now in use, this test in
the case of children is reliable and safe. There are of course
certain disturbances caused by any inoculation such as this which
are in no way worse or even as bad as the reaction of ordinary
vaccination. In adults however there are likely to be more severe
reactions as was found in typhoid inoculations during the war,
where persons are sensitive to the proteins which are present in the
serum forming the injection, and the reactions are due to this
alone and not to the diphtheria toxin present.
A further discovery was made that by injecting a mixture of
toxin neutralised bv anti-toxin it was possible to immunise persons
who were found to be susceptible as a result of a positive Schick
testing. We are thus able nowadays to immunise against diphtheria
the majority of susceptibles found on testing, and in several
of the largest Hospitals all the nurses are Schick tested before they
are put into the diphtheria ward, and the results as shown by the
drop in the incidence of diphtheria amongst the staff is striking.
At North Hyde School, as set forth in the report for the year
1924, I advised the Authorities to Schick Test the entire school
population, and such of the staff as would be tested. The result
has been, if one may say so, dramatic. (There is a constant influx
of boys from poor homes, many in a debilitated condition, from
various parts of the country. These were all Schick tested on admission
and immunised). The incidence of cases of diphtheria
during previous years is shown hereunder.
DIPHTHERIA.
North Hyde Schools.—Cases Notified.
Year. 1920. 1921. 1922. 1923. 1924. 1925.
1 1 1 13 23 3