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33
Small Pox
No case of small pox was notified during the year 1942.
Scarlet Fever
The number of cases of scarlet fever notified during the year
was 175, as compared with 75 in 1941, equivalent to a case rate
of three per 1,000 population. The disease has been generally
mild in character and no deaths due to this cause were recorded.
Of the total number of cases notified 128 were treated in hospital,
and 47 cases were treated at home.
There were seven cases which were known to be "return
cases," representing 3.1 per cent. of the cases treated in hospital,
and 6.4 per cent. of cases treated at home.
The patient's home was disinfected after his removal to
hospital or his release from isolation, but steam disinfection of
the bedding has been discontinued as a routine procedure.
Diphtheria
Twenty-five cases were notified during the year and all the
cases were removed to hospital for treatment. All the contacts
are swabbed as a routine measure, and school contacts supervised
by the staff of the school medical service.
Diphtheria Immunisation
During the year further efforts have been made to encourage
parents to have their children protected against diphtheria.
Every school-child has been offered immunisation at school. A
large number of school-children, however, state that they have
been immunised whilst they were evacuated, but we have no
record of this. The probability is that a considerably greater
percentage of school-children are immunised than our figure
would suggest, as no child is regarded as immunised unless the
details are available and confirmed. The success of immunisation
depends on the number of children between one and two years
of age who are immunised.
Every child on its first birthday has received a birthday
greeting and an appointment at the clinic for immunisation. The