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The difficulty in the proper isolation of suspicious cases continues because
of the lack of cubicle accommodation. It is now improbable that the Ministry
will give consent to the erection of cubicles, since the isolation accommodation
in the County generally is undergoing a change. Luckily, during most of the
year, the hospital was not overcrowded and therefore occasionally a ward could
be used for the temporary isolation of a suspicious case.
Provision of Antitoxin.
The Council provides antitoxin free to local medical practitioners for
cases of diphtheria in the district. During 1935 320,000 units were supplied
in this way.
Owing to the severity of cases of diphtheria occurring in the early part
of the year a circular letter was issued to all medical practitioners in the district
recalling to them the need for large doses of antitoxin if a case was thought
to be diphtheria. This probably accounts to some extent for the increased
amount of antitoxin used outside the hospital during the year.
The Ministry of Health has also sanctioned the supply of tetanus
antitoxin by the Council to local practitioners if such is required. In 1935
9,000 units were supplied.
Diphtheria and tetanus antitoxin can always be obtained at the Health
Department during office hours or at the Isolation Hospital at other times.
Vaccination.
The total number of successful vaccination certificates received during
the year was 301.
The following table gives details of the percentage of children successfully
vaccinated during the last five years:—

It will be seen from the above table that only a relatively small percentage
of infants are immunised against smallpox. This is probably due in part to the
innate objection to innoculation of any sort and it is also due to a certain
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