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9
fication of the first case is received, and also to the fact that we
have only a limited power to compel isolation in hospital,
epidemics have continued to recur. So swift and general is the
spread, that the City from a state of apparent immunity from the
disease one month, during the next few weeks, two or three
thousand cases may occur, rendering the work of disinfection
and isolation of the houses by the ordinary staff impossible. It
is also evident that to provide hospital accommodation sufficient
to deal with a disease which within a few weeks attains such vast
proportions, is not possible."
The system in force before the compulsory notification, by which
the heads of the elementary schools sent to the Sanitary Department
the names and addresses of any children absent and the cause of
which was suspected to be Measles, was of good service, but the
passing of the last Education Bill under which the District Council
has become the Education Authority will greatly facilitate the making
of arrangements whereby the Sanitary Department can be as early as
possible acquainted with the non-attendance of any scholar whose
absence is suspected to be due to any of the many infectious diseases,
both notifiable and otherwise, and thus give the Medical Officers of
Health and Officers of the Sanitary Authority an early opportunity
of visiting the homes, making enquiries and taking such steps as are
necessary in the interests both of the scholars, schools and public.
Diarrhœa.
During the year the deaths of 13 persons were attributed to this
disease, 9 of which were under 1 year of age. There were also 6
deaths from Enteritis.
It is difficult to make comparison with the numbers for previous
years, as the effects of the memorandum issued at the end of the year
1900 by the Society of Medical Officers of Health, and the instructions
of the Registrar General to registrars of births and deaths (a copy of
which was included in my annual report for 1901) is only just seen,
but in future this more uniform system of classification will enable
reliable and comparable statistics to be obtained.
Crysipelas.
Forty cases of this complaint were notified and one death
registered, against 46 cases and 3 deaths last year, and 52 cases and
no deaths in 1901.
Whooping Cough.
Nine deaths occurred from this disease all of children under 5
years of age. There were 3 deaths each in Dundonald and South
Park Wards, 2 in Holy Trinity Ward, and 1 in Cottenham Park Ward.