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2 diphtheria carriers, and only 1 out of the 6 reported was a genuine,
but very mild, case of diphtheria. This child was not ill at all;
was not removed to hospital, and was completely well in 48 hours,
which again proves the efficacy of diphtheria immunisation.
No reactions from immunising injections have been reported.
I ensure this result by the smaller doses which I give to children
of 8 and more as their first injection and to the desensitising dose
which I give to children of over 11 years of age.
The cards of all children who are immunised and tested under
the age of 5 were marked to return in 2 years' time for a re-Schick
test. This is an innovation which in time will give very interesting
figures, as we shall be able to find out how many of these small
children have kept their immunity. I am sure practically every
child will have kept his or her immunity, but the work of retesting
will be worth while even if we trace only an occasional
case of loss of immunity.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to the staff at both
clinics who have helped me in my work."
Enteric Fever.—During the year under consideration 2 cases of
typhoid fever and 3 cases of paratyphoid B fever were notified.
This shows a decrease of 1 on the number of cases that occurred
during 1937. The attack-rate was 0.02 per 1,000 inhabitants,
compared with 0.03 for England and Wales.
All the cases were removed to hospital. There were no deaths
from this disease during the year.
During the year 12 specimens of blood and 22 specimens of
faeces from persons suspected to be suffering from enteric fever
(typhoid or paratyphoid) were submitted to bacteriological examination.
Positive results were obtained from 2 blood and 2 faeces
specimens.
Puerperal Fever and Pyrexia.—There were 21 cases of puerperal
fever notified during 1938. All of these occurred in or were
removed to hospital. None of the patients lived in a house in which
there had occurred recently a case of scarlet fever.
There was one death from puerperal sepsis, giving a death-rate
per 1,000 total births of 0.35, as compared with 0.89 for England
and Wales.