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38
Whooping Cough eighty-three deaths were registered, a
large majority complicated by Measles. Thus from
the two diseases combined one hundred and sixty-one deaths
occurred, comparing unfavourably with a total of one hundred
and seventy-five deaths from all the notifiable zymotic diseases
an unanswerable argument in favour of the compulsory
notification of all infectious diseases, they in the prenotification
period, being said to be equally intractable to supervision and
modification, an idea which the present greatly diminished case
mortality demonstrates to be incorrect.
Influenza.
The mortality from this disease diminished during
the year under report from forty-five, in 1896, to
thirteen, in 1897. The enormous number of deaths from diseases
of the respiratory organs was no doubt increased by the prevalence
of Influenza, mild cases being very prevalent. During the
greatest prevalence of Influenza the Health Committee have on
several occasions issued the following
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST INFLUENZA.
The Vestry of the Parish of St. Mary, Battersea, as the
Sanitary Authority and as advised by the Medical Officer of
Health, in consequence of the renewed prevalence of Influenza,
desire to direct the attention of the public to the extremely
infectious character of the disease, and to point out that to the
exposure of those in an infective condition from Influenza, by
neglect to isolate themselves during the period of such infective
condition, the spread and maintenance of the disease is chiefly
due. It is probable that the breath of those so affected is the
principal medium by which infection is conveyed.
The early symptoms of Influenza are chiefly chills and
shivering, accompanied by great muscular weakness and prostration,
often amounting to inability to stand or move, with pains in
the spine or other parts of the body. It is desirable that persons