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The total number of houses invaded by Diphtheria was
251. In 38 houses the drainage was defective, and in 72
insanitary conditions other than drainage defects were found.
In 29 cases a history of direct personal infection was
obtained. In addition to these, 8 cases imported the disease
from other districts, 8 cases occurred in scarlet fever
convalescents in hospital and 11 cases were possibly return
cases. Twenty-five cases notified as suffering from Diphtheria
and removed to hospital were found not to be so suffering and
were returned home.
Ninety-five bacteriological examinations were made, 24 of
which gave a positive and 71 a negative result.
Return cases of Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria.
Twenty-four cases of Scarlet Fever occurred at perious.
varying from 2 to 29 days after the return of a previous patient
from hospital. In 22 cases the first patient had had Scarlet
Fever, and in 2 cases Diphtheria. Eleven cases of Diphtheria
occurred under similar circumstances, the primary case having
suffered from Diphtheria in 5 and from Scarlet Fever in 6
instances. Although no other source of infection could be
traced in any of these cases it is probable that in some of
them the return of the first case before the infection of the
second was merely a coincidence. In some instances, however,
there appeared to be a causal relationship between the
two cases. It is not surprising that this should be so. It is
impossible to thoroughly disinfect a human being as one