Report of the City Health Department / City of Winnipeg.

  • Winnipeg (Man.). Health Department.
Date:
[1935]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the City Health Department / City of Winnipeg. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/116 (page 9)
    Diphtheria Prevention—As has been mentioned in previous reports Toxoid administration has been systematically carried forward in the city schools since 1923. During 1933 a change was made in that we confined our work to children of pre-school age. We1 received the co¬ operation of the Medical Inspection Department of Public Schools and they kindly arranged to allow us the use of selected schools for this work on Saturday mornings. This work was carried on from Septem¬ ber 28th to December 7th. The following figures indicate the progress made for the past three years:— 1933 1934 1935 First Treatments . _ 1,428 2,593 2,369 Second Treatments .. _ 1,253 2,246 2,188 Third Treatments _ 1,183 2,030 2,020 Total _ _ 3,864 6,869 6,577 Enough material to immunize three thousand one hundred and thirty-six persons, is recorded as having been distributed from the office. After allowing for loss m handling we might reasonably con¬ clude that a thousand children received this protection in private prac¬ tice and institutions within the city. Diphtheria prevention by the administration of Toxoid is making progress and we are getting results, but much remains to be done before we reach our ideal. It seems strange that with all the publicity that this preventive measure has received and the opportunities which are afforded our people for its administration, that more individuals do not take advantage of this safe and efficient means of conferring immunity on their children. Erysipelas—Forty-eight cases (including nine non-resident) were recorded during the year, and four deaths, including one non-resident. Influenza—The total number of cases reported was eighteen, deaths thirteen. Most of the cases are taken from thei death sheet registra¬ tion. Cases and deaths include one non-rescdent each. The bulk of our cases recorded appear in Ward Two. there being eleven cases and seven deaths reported from this Ward. With the exception of two, all deaths appear in age periods of over 35 years. Lethargic Encephalitis—This is the second year the records show a clean sheet for this disease. Measles—The total number of cases of measles reported during the year was nine! hundred and one, deaths one, as compared with six thou¬ sand three hundred and twenty-six for 1934, deaths five. There was a noticeable increase in January and February which continued through to the month of June. While the previous year’s epidemic was extensive, it did not cover all the ground and we found ourselves during the month of December fighting fresh outbreaks in the parts which had escaped during the outbreak of 1934. With but ten cases reported in the month of Novem¬ ber, 1935, the cases jump to a record figure of two hundred and seventy the following month. Mumps—In Ward Two, mumps continued prevalent during 1934, the