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15
Measles and Whooping Cough have between them caused 35
deaths, and of these 34 have been deaths of children under 5 years
of age. As these diseases are not compulsorily notifiable, we have
no direct information as to the number of children who have been
affected with one or other of these diseases during the year, but,
taking an average case mortality, the number cannot be less than
1,000, and is probably more. There is no doubt that much of this
serious amount of illness is caused by school infection, and is
directly due to the practice of sending children of 3 and 4 years of
age to the public elementary schools. The heavy incidence of the
diseases, and the large number of deaths caused annually, are very
strong reasons for prohibiting the admission of children under 5
years of age to the public elementary schools.
Epidemic Diarrhcea caused 24 deaths, 21 of these deaths being
of infants under one year of age. In 1903 only one death arose
from this cause, and in preceding years, 1 (1902), 6 (1901), 9
(1900), 32 (1899), 15 (1898) and 29 (1897). This is a disease which
has been found to be very largely influenced by climatic conditions.
In summers with a very heavy rainfall and with no considerable
spells of hot weather, as in 1901 and 1902, few deaths are recorded
from this cause, whereas in hot summers the disease is prevalent.
There is no doubt that the disease is due to food contamination,
the food most largely concerned being milk.
It has been suggested that flies play an important part in
carrying infected matter to milk stored in open vessels, and other