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10
III.—INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
The Infectious Disease (Notification) Act has been in
force in the District since the early part of 1890; in July,
1890, measles was added to the list of notifiable diseases,
and in 1894 diarrhoea was made notifiable for a few weeks.
The Infectious Disease (Prevention) Act is also in force in
the District.
As anticipated in the last annual report, 1897 has been
a scarlet fever year, the previous one of marked prevalence
having been 1893. Mitcham was specially involved, and
190 cases occurred there, as compared with 122 in 1893.
The disease was very mild throughout the District.
Measles was the only other disease which showed undue
prevalence, and also occurred specially in Mitcham as
a comparatively slight recrudescence of the extensive
epidemic of 1896.
The total cost during the year of notifications by medical
practitioners was £63 2s.
The detailed history of the behaviour of the more important
infectious diseases during the year is as follows:—
Small-pox.—Three cases of small-pox occurred during the
year 1897.
The first case occurred in a country house in Woodmansterne
Parish, at the end of January, the victim being a young
man, 20 years of age, who was in the habit of going daily to
an office in London. He first complained of illness on January
21 st, the rash made its appearance on the 24th, and he was
removed to the Small-pox Hospital, at Highgate, on the 26th,
under a private arrangement. On the 25th, every member of
the household was vaccinated, except a domestic, who had
been re-vaccinated a short time previously. Success attended