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3.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
The following Table shows the number of notifications of the
principal infectious diseases as compared with the two previous years:-

It will be seen that there was a decrease in notifications of scarlet
fever, but that conversely the notifications of measles was markedly
increased. The latter disease tends to reach a peak biennially and the
increase was therefore anticipated. This disease, while in the majority
of children passing off with little or no untoward results, gives rise in
a proportion of cases, particularly in the very young or the debilitated
child, to unfortunate complications, such as pneumonia, diseases of the
middle ear, etc. In view of this, endeavours were made to admit as many
complicated cases as possible to the Isolation Hospital and medical
practitioners in the district wore notified that arrangements would be made
there for the treatment of such cases and also where the housing conditions
precluded a child being satisfactorily nursed at home.
The incidence of diphtheria remained low and in only 11 out of the 20
cases notified was the diagnosis confirmed. The campaign for diphtheria
immunisation was continued energetically, and Table IV shows the number of
cases of diphtheria, deaths from that disease, and the accumulated total
of children immunised.