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Of the 176 cases, the source of which was not traced, and which,
therefore, might have been water-borne infection, 122 live within
the area of the " Croydon " supply, and 54 in the " Lambeth" area.
The enteric fever incidence in the two areas was, therefore, 10 per
10,000 in the " Croydon " area, and 15 per 10,000 in the " Lambeth "
area for the nine years. The numbers for both water supplies are
small, and conclusively disprove the suggestion that there has beep,
any water-borne epidemic in Croydon during recent years.
When the figures for 1908 are examined separately it is found
that of the 26 cases, for which no definite cause could be assigned,
that 21 were in the Croydon area, and the remaining five in the
" Lambeth” area. Here again the totals for the year are fairly proportional
to the number of inhabitants in the two areas.
When the numbers of cases of enteric fever are so small as they
were in Croydon in 1908, the question of a water epidemic does not
arise, but knowing what we do of the potential dangers of water
infection, it is still essential that the efforts made by the Water
Committee to further safeguard the public supplies should be in no
way relaxed. This is a matter, however, which is dealt with more
fully in a subsequent section of this report.
Investigation was also made into the sanitary condition of all
premises in which cases of enteric fever occurred, which could not be
traced to infection outside the borough. As the numbers for 1908
are small, particulars have been extracted for the four years
1905—1908.