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48
increased. Careful instructions as to after-care are given by the
Hospital Authorities to patients leaving the hospital, but it is
not always easy for these directions to be carried out, and the
convalescents are apt to develop some infective condition, such
as a nasal discharge, after they return home. At the present
time it is only fair to admit that in a longstanding epidemic of
mild cases, such as we have been experiencing, infection by
" missed cases " must not be overlooked.
The total number of cases of Scarlet Fever notified during
the year was 376, and of these 332 received hospital treatment.
The attack rate from this disease per 1,000 of the population
was therefore 5.96 or nearly 6 per 1,000. Two deaths occurred
from this disease.
Diphtheria was responsible for 93 cases, as against 44 for
the preceding year and 9 deaths occurred as the result of this
disease. Although a somewhat large increase in the number of
cases, the disease was not epidemic in any'particular period of
the year and the attack rate per 1,000 of the population was 1.47.
Anti-toxin is supplied free to medical practitioners for the
treatment of patients in the area, and the total cost of this
during the past year was £22 8s. lOd.
It is possible that medical men do not avail themselves of
this privilege to the extent that may be desired, relying more
on the prompt removal to hospital for treatment. On the other
hand, fatal cases from this disease are often found to be due to
parents' neglect in seeking medical advice for their children at
the earliest possible moment, thus severely handicapping the
Hospital Authorities.
Numbers of children in the Borough are sent to " holiday
homes " through certain charities, and it is the practice to
swab the throats of many of such children before leaving for
their annual holiday. Unfortunately, one such charity sent a
number of children away during the summer to a " holiday
home " without this precaution being taken. Nine of the
children contracted Diphtheria while away, but the infection
was traced to a child coming from another Borough. The
practice of swabbing the throats is a good one, and should be
compulsory in all such cases when Diphtheria is prevalent.
No artificial methods of immunisation against Diphtheria
or Scarlet Fever was used in the Borough during the past year.