New Britain herald., 1927-05-18

| fact, the writer is inclined to believe | that there have actually been fewer
 cases of measles in the city this year ! than there were last year, though i there have been very many more re- ported this year. The reason is this, an extensive campaign campaign has i been waged this year for detecting
 unreported cases Of measles and d | found. It is a very we'll known fact 1 that many families do not call q
 physician to care for child suffer- ] ing from measles and likewise the ! families do not report the cases to
 the health department. This un-
 doubtedly will serve 10 explain n | very large amount Of the apparent increase occasioned.
 1 Drive on Diphthcria.
 | There IS one disease which de- serves rather detailed consideration, i and that is diphtheria. In 1924 there
 were 1SS cases and 15 deaths. In the i year ending 1926 there were 43 cases and deaths. In the year ending 1 1927 there were only 23 cases and
 two deaths. Obviously there has been a steady decrease in the number of
 cases and deaths from diphtheria. It
 would be perfectly possible to draw erroneous conclusions from these figures. One could say. and apparent | ly prove by the figures, that a diph- | theria immunization campaign was
 responsible for the decrease. True,
 there has been a campaign for in-
 may well account for certain
 amount of the decrease. However this campaign has not been exten- sive enough to account for such marked decrease. An investigation of
 the figures for the entire state of Connecticut shows an almost exactly
 proportionate decrease in diph- theria.
 The object in discussing this at such length is to state that while We have experienced a very definite decrease in diphtheria the reason cannot be definitely attributed to inn munization work. The department wishes to emphasize again that as matter of fact there is no need of having even 23 cases of diphtheria in New Britain. We have repeated ly stated in the press that parents could have their children immunized against diphtheria at any time they desired by going to their family physician. A great many parents have done this. but rot enough. The health department has not establish ed a clinic for immunization against diphtheria for various reasons. We recommend that the family take the child to the family physician for the reason that he is in much better
 position to know how to take care of the child than would any doctor be who only saw the child during few minutes in public clinic. It hard ly seems to require explanation. It is definitely more logical to take the child to ones own physician than to take the child to clinic. On the other hand, it must be remembered that certain parents cannot afford to have their children immunized and for this reason it seems advisable in the near future to establish some form of clinic which will care for those children whose parents cannot afford to pay. Immunization against diphtheria is in no way compulsory and in all probability no attempt will be made to make it compulsory. It is offered as an opportunity. A great many times parents are inclined to believe that measures of this sort. proposed and endorsed by municipal departments, are being forced upon them. Ones natural instinct for contrariness frequently upsets ones judgment. In the last analysis. how foolish it Is to allow your child to go unprotected when protection is such a simple process.
 Disease Under Control
 "The appended list of diseases re- ported and deaths gives detailed in- formation which 1t is not necessary to discuss here. Suffice 1t to say that the communicable disease sit- uation this year has Been unusually good when compared with previous years. Though the figures show ap- parent increases in some diseases it is perfectly true that att no time during the year have we felt alarm ed over the prevalence of any of the diseases.
 "The Dental Clinic has continued throughout the year to render it's usual laudable service. This clinic has a very definite place in the municipal organization and its value s'sould not be under-rated. The ap- pended detailed report gives ade- quate evidence of the amount of work done in this clinic.
 "The work of the tuberculosis nurses. under the joint supervision of the health department and the Tuberculosis Relief society, Is care fully detailed elsewhere. This is a work with which the general public is not particularly familiar. It is quite probable that only those per sons who come in direct contact with tuberculosis clinic and tubercu- losis nurses realize the amount of efficient service that is being render ed by that group of workers. Throughout the year it has been possible for them to aid in sending great number of patients to sana- toria and to provide adequate home care for those who could not go away.
 "The work of the sanitary inspec- tors has increased to the point where it is practically impossible to carry on adequately with the force at our disposal. The increased amount of