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Small-pox.—No cases have occurred in the City, but there have been 13 cases notified
in other Metropolitan Boroughs. Through the agency pf tramps, the disease has been
introduced into districts close to London, and in view thereof I have addressed a letter to
those in charge of Casual Wards, Common Lodging Houses, and Shelters in the City, calling
their attention to the possibility of persons suffering therefrom obtaining admission to such
places, and asking that a look-out be kept for any suspicious cases.

65 Certificates of Infectious Disease have been sent to School Teachers, and Certificates
of each case notified have been sent to each of the Public Libraries in the City. Intimations
have been received from School Teachers relating to 19 cases of Whooping Cough, 8 of
Mumps, 13 of Measles, and 40 of Chicken-pox.
Epidemic Grants for Elementary Day Schools:—Under the Education Code a grant
has been made in the past to public elementary schools, to cover the loss which would otherwise
occur through the absence of children suffering from or resident in a house in which
there was infectious disease. Now, in the recently issued Provisional Code, intimation is
given by the Board of Education that after March 31st, 1903, no Special Epidemic Grant
will lj)e made in respect of anv diminution of attendance. Under the old conditions, teachers
and tnanagers were ready to exclude infected or suspected children, and thereby assisted
materially in the prevention of more extensive outbreaks of disease, but when such exclusions!
are no longer to be reckoned in calculating the average attendance, school teachers
may not be so ready to assist.
Besides the injury to public health, and the increased expense thereby incurred, there
will be the direct loss to the rates of London of £12,000 annually, which is approximately
the amount of the grant paid in past years.
I would suggest that the Council make a representation on the Subject to the Board
of Education, with the view of having the Article (101*) re-instated.

6. Water Analysis.— Professor Thorpe, of the Government Laboratory, reports that he
has Examined the water supplied to the Metropolis during the month of March by the eight
Water Companies. The particulars relating to the four Companies (New River, West Middlesex,
Chelsea and Grind Junction) supplying the Citv of Westminster are as follows:—
Thirteen samples of each Company's water were examined. The New River Company's
water contained a larger quantity of organic matter than usual, due to the flooded state of
the Lea, from which part of its supply is drawn. The East London supply from the same
cause was very bad. All the Thames-derived supplies contained large amounts of organic
matter, due primarily to heavy rains in the Thames Valley, but the waters of the Lambeth
and Grand Junction Companies from the insufficient storage possessed by these Companies
were most affected. Taking the average amount of organic impurity in a given volume of
the Kent Company's water, during the nine years ending 1876 as unity, the proportional
amount contained in an equal volume of water supplied by each of the Metropolitan Water
Companies was :—Kent, 0.9; New River, 3.7; East London, 9.9 ; Chelsea, 4.9; West
Middlesex, 5.1 ; Southwark, 4.7 ; Grand Junction, 6.8 ; and Lambeth, 7.3.