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21
The eases notified do not actually represent all the cases of notifiable
disease that occur in the district, for all cases arising in the Barracks or
other Government residences are not reported to the Health Department.
During the year five cases not previously notified were removed to the
Isolation Hospital, and therefore this number at least must be added to the
total.
The condition of the district as a whole may be considered satisfactory
as regards infectious disease. There has been no epidemic or serious outbreak
during the year, and very few cases have occurred in which infection could
bo traced to a previous case in the same house or family. This fact speaks
well for the care with which disinfection is carried out, and the manner in
which the Inspectors supervise the isolation of cases not removed to Hospital.
Formalin is depended upon entirely now for disinfecting the rooms and some
of the clothing of patients, whilst the bedding and heavier articles are removed
to the Hospital and there disinfected by heat.
In 45 cases of Scarlet Fever, 14 of Diphtheria and 5 of Typhoid it was
considered necessary to test the draius of the houses where they occurred.
Arising out of these 64 cases the drains of 233 houses were tested, and defects
were found in 141.
Including the cases notified from the Brentford Infirmary, 82 cases were
removed to Mogden Hospital. If Erysipelas and Puerperal Fever, neither
of which diseases are admitted to the Hospital, are excluded, this is equal
to 70 per cent. of the total cases.
Small-pox.
An entire freedom from this disease can be again reported for the year
1904, a fact for which the Health Department can claim no credit, but which
is none the less satisfactory. A considerable number of cases of Chickenpox
was reported from the schools from time to time, but in none of them
was there any doubt as to the nature of the disease. Several cases where
there was some doubt as to whether or not the patient was suffering from
small-pox, were seen by the Medical Officer of Health in consultation with
the doctor attending them, and one of these patients, an elderly man, was