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76
"Risk of Diphtheria Banished," supplied by The Community Interests
Films, Ltd.—was exhibited. Dr. Lethem came down from
the Ministry of Health and addressed the meeting. The place was
packed, and questions were asked and answered, and literature distributed.
I also arranged that, subsequent to this lecture, through
the kindness of the managers of the three cinemas in the district,
the film should be exhibited for a week in each, and I wish to place
on record my grateful thanks to them for their assistance.
The result of these efforts was an immediate response, necessitating
the institution of three immunising sessions a week.
Later, a meeting was arranged at Isleworth, which Dr. Bousfield
addressed in place of Dr. Lethem, but there the result was
nothing like as satisfactory as at the Alexandra Schools.
Several members of the Council rendered valuable help in addressing
meetings and in other ways, and special thanks must be
given to them for their efforts on behalf of the children of the
district.
Although both I and my chief assistant, Dr. Boberts, have
done immunisation work, I felt that in the circumstances it was
wiser to put the matter in the hands of somebody who was an
authority and of wide experience in the matter, and I suggested
to the Council that they should put Dr. Bousfield in charge of the
work; this was done, and he arranged his own team of officers who
generally work with him, the fees paid being £2:2:0 per session.
The success during 1930 has been, so far as I know, the most
outstanding of any efforts in the country.
The full details of the work for 1930 are set out in the
accompanying report by Dr. Bousfield.
Schick testing has been resorted to in practically every case,
and every effort has been made to ensure that the work is as accurately
scientific as it is possible to make it.
Very careful records are kept of each case, and I have instituted
a card on the lines shown, so as to ensure that as far as possible
I get information in case of any possible attack which might
arise at any future date in a patient who was considered to be immunised.