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48
Three deaths from this disease occurred, two at the
Isolation Hospital under the control of the Joint Hospitals
Committee, and one at an outside institution.
Although anti-toxin is supplied free to medical practitioners,
it would seem that they do not avail themselves of the
service to any extent, probably owing to the very prompt
removal of diagnosed cases to hospital. The cost of the antitoxin
purchased during the year was £14 6s. 10d.
As indicated in my report for 1934, the Council inaugurated
in the month of June a scheme for immunisation against
Diphtheria and a special clinic was commenced in that month.
Dr. King-Brown, the Medical Officer in charge, has kindly
furnished the undermentioned brief report with respect to the
working of this clinic.
Diphtheria Immunisation Clinic.
As this account only covers the first seven months' working
of the Diphtheria Prevention Clinic (from June 24th to
December 31st, 1935), the numbers dealt with are too small for
any very accurate estimate of the success of the clinic to be
drawn.
The routine followed in the present series of cases was
briefly as follows:—
All children were first Schick Tested in order to determine
their liability to contract diphtheria, and then those found to
be susceptible (Schick positive) were given three injections of
Toxoid-Antitoxin Mixture (Burroughs Wellcombe & Co.), the
first two doses consisting of one c.c. and the third dose of one
and a-half c.c. The interval between the first two doses was
one week, and between the second and third doses two weeks.
After an average of three months the children so treated
were again Schick Tested, as were the children who were
negative at the first test.
It will be seen from the attached figures that approximately
20 per cent. of all children coming for their first test were found
to be apparently immune (Schick negative). Owing to the
comparatively small numbers so far dealt with, it has not been
thought worth while to divide the cases into age groups for this
report.