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54
is rapidly approaching completion. In view of these many
sanitary improvements, a still better report may be expected
concerning the public health of No. 2 Sanitary District in 1900.
The periods of the year in which the greatest freedom from
the disease was noticeable were the first week in April and the
first and second weeks in September, the number of notifications
of Diphtheria received during each of these weeks being four for
the whole Parish. The reverse conditions prevailed in the second
week of February, when thirty-one cases were notified, principally
from Districts Nos. 4 and 6. This outbreak was the subject of a
Special Report by me to the Vestry. As regards No. 6 District,
the disease was unusually prevalent after the 14th January,
and upon investigation, the cause was traceable to a child who
had attended the Infants' Department of Plough Road Board
School, from the 9th to the 14th of that month, whilst suffering
from an unrecognized attack of Diphtheritic sore throat, which
was not discovered until two other members of the family were
attacked, when a medical man was called in. Thirty cases of
Diphtheria were found to be more or less associated with this
source of infection. On the 10th February under an order made
by the Vestry the department of the school was closed and
contiuued so for a period of three weeks, the whole of the class
rooms, &c. being disinfected by the staff of the Public Health Department.
As indicating the benefit of school closure in this instance,
the following is of value. During the four weeks preceding the
closing of the Infants' Department, thirty-four cases occurred in
No. 6 District, being equal to 8.5 cases per week, whereas during
the first week after the school closure, a portion of which would
be within the incubation period and consequently the full effects
of the measure would not be experienced, the number was
reduced to six cases for the week, and during the second week
one case only, the improvement being subsequently maintained.
In No. 4 District the outbreak was not so great. Several of
the cases however were traceable to the same cause affecting No.