The Washington times., 1928-12-14
I|N|NUNIZATI ION
VALUE PROVED
IN SURVEY

"a y &1 &t y E0
The conclusions drawn from 9
survey of the communicable disease
situation in Chicago deserve wide
consideration, since they are apple
able to a much broader field than
that city, in the editorial opinion
of The Journal of the American
Medical Association. One of the most
important items in the investiga
ton was that it demonstrated once
more the value of toxin-antitoxir
in control of diphtheria.
Some time ago. sayssthe writer
s'the Institute Of Medicine OF Chi
cago appointed a committee OF rep
resentative clinical and hygienic ex'
perts to make a survey of the com
municable disease situation in Chi.
cago. Their report. recently pub.
lished, deserves careful study Dur
ing 1926. one of the three years
taken into consideration more than
$500 deaths from contagious
diseases were reported in Chicago.
10000 Cases
This gives some idea of the
significance Of the task and the
desirability of. the investigation. It
permits a forecast of 10000 cases
annually of the eighteen diseases
selected for consideration. The
numbers for the individual disorders
show declining trends for all except
chickenpox, measles and German
measles. similarly there are declin-
ing tendencies in the death reports
for the several communicable dis
eases, excepting eneephalitis, chick
enpox and smallpox.
'.Out of this document, necessarily
statistical in large measure, certain
conclusions Of its authors deserve
The attention of wider audience
than that of the municipality for
which they were primarily con-
Sidered. The commission adds its
recognition of the proved value of
immunization by taxin antitoxin in
the control of t1iphtlleria-a practice
that now has administrative sane
tion in many large American cities.
1T is pointed out that the ideal
time for immunization against diph
liberia is from the first to the fifth
year of life. This is the preschool
period, during which it is notably
difficult to reach the children; hence
efforts should be directed here quite
as much as to the early years of
school
Measles and Fever
Measles prophylaxis has its pres.
sing problems, as has already been
pointed out in the journal The Chi
cago experts suggest that. pending
the outcome of conclusive studies,
moderate supply of measles con-
valescent, serum be secured and
r7n lob fo.st tr,
tons and practicing physicians in
the treatment of selected persons
who have been exposed to measles.
active immunization against scar.
let fever cannot yet be recommended
as q general public health measure,
principally on account of the large
number of injections required and
the short duration of the immunity
AFFORDED. As a prophylactic in
special circumstances, particularly
where scarlet fever exists, its value
is unquestioned.
The Chicago report reflects the
changing conditions shown in the
annual reports in the Journal on
the Incidence of typhoid. 1t re-
minds us that the advisabiIitv of
general immunization in a civil
population depends on the prey.
aIence of typhoid in the community
in question. In Chicago. with :
morbldity of only per 1OO. 900. gen.
eral immunization of natients af
even the more susceptible age groun
would, to quote the report. .neces.
sar.iy pay small return on the in.
Vestment.' Thus have sanitary
science and preventive medicine
progressed in the attack on 4 onca
formidable malady.
Moral Obligations
Two practical suggestions deserve
widespread emphasis. One of tban,
urges that physicians in nractica
snouid assume their rightflII sbare
OF responsibility in the cornnaIIr;t,,
Tor the control of communicable dis.
eases. especially in the preschool
group Of children. and make sneciai
eIIorts TO secure immunization of
lneir patients against snallnox and
oipntheria before they reach the
school age. 'e
Ihe other advice is that all hos.
pitaIs should provide facilities for
the care of patients with connrnuni.
cable disease.
All hospitals, in the words of
the chicago report, should be ex.
pected to provide facilities for fha
care Of those who contract or da,
Velop communicable disease wbiia
under observation or treatment for
other ailments. Aoi
hospitals must recognize thar
tney have moral as we'll as financial
obligations in these matters how.
ever much they may object to re.
tanning patients with communicates
diseases because of the expense of
the special nursing care required hv
existing rac,,Iatio 20 ~a, - - ~