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49
A perusal of the foregoing tables will show the incidence
of notifiable diseases in the Borough as well as their classification
in age and ward groups.
As noted in my report for last year, the extension and
reconstruction of the Isolation Hospital under the control of the
Brentford, Chiswick and Ealing Joint Hospitals Committee, was
completed during 1937.
As a result the Borough has now ample isolation hospital
accommodation to meet—it is hoped—all calls that may be
made upon it. So far as this accommodation is concerned, the
report of the Medical Superintendent of the Joint Hospitals,
kindly furnished to me by Dr. T. Orr, and appended to this
report, serves to shew how this accommodation was utilised
during the past year as well as dealing with the nature of the
complaints treated.
Dealing with the more important of the notifiable diseases :
(a) Scarlet Fever.
The number of cases notified was 201, showing an increase
of 37 cases over the preceding year and giving an attack rate of
3.2 per 1000 of the population.
Of the 201 cases notified, 181 received hospital treatment.
One death occurred from this disease while under hospital
treatment.
(b) Diphtheria.
The cases of Diphtheria notified duirng the year were again
remarkably small in number, viz., 39 as compared with 17
during the year 1936, and giving an attack rate of just under
0.6 per 1,000 of the population.
All cases were removed for hospital treatment and one
death occurred from this disease.
Although anti-toxin is supplied free to medical practitioners
it would seem that they do not avail themselves of the
service to any extent, probaly owing to the very prompt
removal of diagnosed cases to hospital. The cost of the antitoxin
purchased during the year was £3 17s. Od.
As regards the action taken by the Council to provide
facilities for immunisation against Diphtheria, previous reports
shew that an Immunisation Clinic was opened in the Borough
during 1935.