London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Brentford and Chiswick 1935
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Brentford and Chiswick]
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49
After the giving of the Toxoid-Antitoxin Mixture, about
92 per cent. of children previously Schick positive became
Schick negative. Owing to the three months interval between
the third injection of T.A.M. and the secondary Schick Test,
the numbers in this group are too small for any very accurate
estimation of the efficiency of the method adopted to be drawn.
It would appear, however, from a glance at further numbers of
cases, that this figure of 92 per cent. will be exceeded in
subsequent reports.
All children found to be apparently immune after their
second Schick Test were given certificates to this effect.
The clinics have been well attended, appear to be popular
and to be fulfilling a very definite need, but it is too soon to
make any statement about the effect of the treatment on the
incidence of diphtheria in the Borough. No case of diphtheria
has yet been reported in a child immunised or found to be
naturally immune, in this Borough.
The following table shows the work undertaken in this clinic during the six months it was in operation:—
| Total number of children attending | 552 | |
| Total number of attendances | 1843 | |
| Total number of clinics | 24 | |
| Average attendance per clinic | 76.7 | |
| No. of Primary Schick Tests— | ||
| Number positive | 442 (80%) | |
| Number negative | 110 (20%) | 552 |
| No. of Secondary Schick Tests— | ||
| Number positive | 7 ( 8%) | |
| Number negative | 80 (92%) | 87 |
| No. of Re-Primary Schick Tests— | ||
| Number positive | 1 | |
| Number negative | 15 | 16 |
| No. of Re-Secondary Schick Tests—Number positive | 1 | |
| No. of certificates issued | 95 | |
(c) Puerperal Fever and Puerperal Pyrexia.
The Chiswick and Ealing Maternity Hospital being situated
within the Borough boundaries, cases of the above occurring
there are notified to me, hence the figures shown in Table A
appear somewhat high.