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Milk.—With regard to other circumstances having a possible
relation to the prevalence of the disease, there was no evidence
pointing to the milk supply, as the sources of supply were very
numerous, and not more than four of the families affected were
served by any one vendor. In 26 households invaded, condensed
milk was said to be used.
Sewers. —There were some complaints respecting the offensive
smells from the surface sewer ventilators adjacent to infected
houses, but no opinion can be formed as to whether these exercised
predisposing influence. Extra gangs were employed by the
Surveyor in flushing the sewers and cleansing the gullies in the
streets in which cases occurred.
Sanitary defects were found in many of the houses, but 65 per
cent, of the cases occurred either in newly built houses in which
the drains had been constructed under the supervision of the
Vestry, and subjected to a water test, or in houses in which the
drainage had recently been reconstructed.
It is noticeable that in this outbreak, the disease, as in the
last four years, has been most prevalent in the Sand's End district,
and especially in the new houses built upon made up ground.
School Influence. —Irrespective of the Langford Road School
cases which are dealt with in detail below, there is reason to think
that other school attendances had some effect in promoting the
spread of the disease during the period referred to. In the two
wards chiefly affected, the proportion of " first " cases occurring
among school attendants was noticeably greater than in the wards
which were less affected, the figures being as under : —
Percentage of Primary
cases attending school.
Percentage of Primary
cases not attending
school.
Sand's End Ward 65 per cent. 35 per cent.
Munster Ward 56 „ 44 „
Other Wards 43 „ 57 „
The schools, among the pupils of which the largest number of
cases occurred were the following : —