Souvenir B.M.A. meeting Cardiff 1928.

  • Burroughs Wellcome and Company.
Date:
[1928]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: Souvenir B.M.A. meeting Cardiff 1928. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Prophylaxis and Treatment O F Diphtheria and Scarlet Fever Prophylactic treatment of both diphtheria and scarlet fever has developed remarkably during recent years. It has recently been pointed out* that the Schick test and immunisation constitute one of the most notable advances in this sphere of preventive medicine. In the report referred to it is stated that there is now very little doubt that systematic adoption of Schick test and immunisation would result in a great yearly saving of child life, notably in London, where, though diphtheria has been more generally prevalent and presents a more pressing and difficult problem than in the provinces, no co-ordinated effort has been made to introduce immunisation. Reduction Diphtheria in the incidence of the disease would also lighten very materially the burden on the ratepayers of the present heavy expenditure incurred in the existing system of notification, removal, disinfection, isolation and hospital treatment, and in the general preventive measures against the spread of infection in the homes, schools and elsewhere. Like the Schick test in diphtheria, the Dick test supplies information of the greatest possible value in relation to the susceptibility or otherwise of individuals to scarlet fever. An interesting commentary appeared in the annual report (1926) of the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health, emphasising the excellent prospects of solving some of the administrative problems in Fever connection with scarlet fever. It is pointed out that the detection of susceptible contacts and others by means of the Dick test, and the effective protection of such individuals by means of scarlatinal antitoxic serum, are obviously measures of the highest administrative importance, which, it is satisfactory to note, are being more and more adopted in hospitals and other institutions, f Encouraging reports have also been received from several sources, and particularly from centres in the North of England regarding 'Medical Research Council Report\ Series No. 115, p. 80 f The Lancet, March 5, 1927