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5
Notifications received in years:—
1891— 43, equal to a rate of 6.3 per 1,000 of population.
1892 56, „ „ 7.9 „ „ „
1893— 99, „ „ 13.4 „ „ „
1894 67, „ „ 8.9 „ „ „
1895— 99, „ „ 12.8 „ „ „
1896 159, „ „ 18.6 „ „ „
Without Measles 49 notifications were received, which would
be equal to a rate of 5.6 per 1,000 of the population.
Scarlet Fever.
Twenty-one cases of Scarlet Fever were notified. Investigation
was made into all the cases directly the notifications were
received. Contact with persons suffering from illness appeared to
be the general cause; in some of the cases the insanitary state of
the patient's house, or the ground surrounding same, contributed
its share in being the indirect cause. No deaths were registered
from this illness.
Erysipelas.
Eight notifications were received relating to this illness. In
one case no doubt the direct cause was the filthy state of house
and premises.
Measles.
The epidemic of Measles which appeared in December, 1895,
still spread throughout January; no doubt the holiday season was
the means of the illness being so prevalent. Measures were taken
to instruct parents to keep their children at home and not to allow
infected children to mix with healthy ones. The schools were
visited and information was received from this source as to a
number of children away sick, and many visits were paid to the
houses occupied by them. The illness abated gradually, but
during the year three deaths were registered therefrom. The
advantages of the notification of Measles being compulsory, were
shewn by the knowledge gained of the number of cases and the
localities, and when the period of two years, for which Measles was
to be retained as one of the notifiable diseases, was up in October,
I made a report to your Council and urged you to extend the time,
which you decided to do. The means at your Council's disposal to
deal with an epidemic of Measles in a satisfactory manner are