[Report 1959] / Medical Officer of Health, Ashbourne U.D.C.

  • Ashbourne (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1959
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1959] / Medical Officer of Health, Ashbourne U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/28 (page 8)
    The County Health Committee, on the advice of the Ministry of Health has decided that the County Scheme shall, at present, he limited to school children of the age of 13 and upwards. It is felt that at this age, usually their penultimate year at school the children can derive the most benefit from the vaccination and leave school with such protection as the vaccination affords. A start has already been made with the County Council's Scheme within the Rural District and it is hoped to extend the scheme throughout the whole area as and when suitatle opportunities arise. Visit of Mass Radiography Unit The Mass Radiography Unit visited Ashbourne from the 14th to 28th September, 1959. The following is a report on the visit and of the numbers X-rayed kindly supplied by Dr. W, Guthrie, the Unit's Medical Director. 2283 examinees in all were x-rayed, which is higher than on any previous occasion, and was due this year to an increased response on the part of the general public. It is interesting to note that almost 60/o of the general public had been x-rayed by this Unit previously. The response from the school children was, as usual, very good and in their case most of them were x-rayed for the first time. Although the total response was very good, it could have been better had it not been for the fact that unfortunately the x-ray set was out of action for a day and a half at the beginning of our visit and I hope that not too many people were inconvenienced as a result. No definite case of active pulmonary tuberculosis was discovered, but there were two observations cases, representing an incidence of .09/6, As you will see from the figures no active case was discovered in 1955, and there were three cases in 1952, representing an incidence of ,14/4 This means that should any of the observation cases prove to be active the incidence cannot be higher than in 1952, There were three observation cases (non-tuberculosis) discovered. They have been referred to a Chest Physician for further investigation. Two are ? cystic disease of the lungs, and one was a ? diaphragmatic hernia. One person did not return for clinical examination, as requested. As the x-ray film only suggested pulmonary fibrosis no further action was taken in this case. BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAvMllONS All Bateriological Examinations in connection with milk, water, food supplies and infectious disease are carried out at the Public Health Laboratory (Medical Research Council) 121a Osmaston Road, Derby, (Telephone Number Derby 45597). Specimens and swabs taken by Medical Practitioners are forwarded direct to the Public Health Laboratory, BMJNISATION AGAINST WHOOPING COUGH AMD TETANUS The County Council has in operation a scheme whereby immunisation against Whooping Cough and Tetanus is offered to persons up to the age of 14 years. Because there is thought to be a risk of provoking other diseases if the antigens are combined and given in one injection, it is felt that it would be more expedient if the antigens were given singly. Thus immunisatior against these two diseases involves two courses of injections. Injections are given at the County Council Clinic or by the Medical Practitioners, and 'booster* doses are given after the recommended interval has elapsed.