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The Diphtheria and Scarlet Fever cases occurred in houses scattered
over the district, the 107 diphtheria cases occurring in 84 different
houses; the 72 scarlet lever cases in 60 different houses.
The total of over 200 cases notified under the Infectious Diseases
Notification Act is above the average of past years and I understand
an increase was also marked in the districts surrounding Bromley.
DIPHTHERIA.
The large number of notifications with a case mortality of 5.6
per cent. indicates the mildness of the disease in the majority of the
cases. Three of the six deaths were children who were unwell three
or four days before medical advice was obtained. The number of
swabs s.ent for bacteriological examination was 419 ; in 94 of these the
Diphtheria bacillus was present, in four doubtful. Primary swabs
were sent to the Clinical Research Association, London, where owing
to the better postal facilities results are more quickly obtained, the
others being sent to the County Medical Officer at Maidstone ; 76 of
the 107 diphtheria cases were children attending elementary schools
and 93 were under 14 years of age.
A supply of swabs and diphtheria anti-toxin is kept at the Health
Department and at the house of the M.O.H., and may be obtained at
the former place during office hours, and at the latter place at any
time, by any medical practitioner. By the use of the telephone, however,
in notifying removal the majority of cases are conveyed so
quickly by motor ambulance to the Hospital that injections of serum
are generally carried out there.