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62
Medical Officers of Health Annual Report.
with true diphtheria, in the latter only with tonsillitis.
Whatever the theories may be to account for this, the
practical issue which we as sanitarians have to see to
is that precautionary measures of isolation, &c., should
be applied to all cases alike.
One remarkable feature of this epidemic was its
extremely mild nature. No fatal case resulted from it.
Herein I think we have one explanation of the rapid
spread of the disease. All the early cases were so mild
that it was with the greatest difficulty we could get the
people to understand how essential it was to isolate the
infectious children. On several occasions the inspector
found on visiting the premises an infected child in one
corner of the room aud the other children of the family,
as well as the parent, keeping the sick one company.
On remonstrating with them the reply was, "Oh, the
child is not ill—only got a touch of a sore throat." The
imperfect isolation carried out in too many cases was,
I am satisfied, partly the cause of the disease spreading
so rapidly. Unfortunately, at the time the hospitals
were full and the sick could not be removed so rapidly
as we desired.
I am glad to be able to report that the school managers
here remedied the sanitary defects existing in
connection with the schools. The water-closets are now
placed outside the building and new ones have replaced
the old ones which were of an obsolete type. A shelter
has also been provided where the children can resort in
wet weather.
Scarlet Fever. 83 cases of this disease were notified during
the year, and, as in the case of Diphtheria, the majority
of these occurred in the last three months of the year. Up
till the end of September, 22 cases were notified, and during
the last three months 61 cases. A fatal result only