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39
From this table is appears that the deaths in 26 years due to
scarlet fever, diphtheria, typhoid fever and small-pox, all taken
together, numbered 503, to whooping cough 757, and measles 1,333.
In children under 5 years therefore, it is seen that measles
kills nearly three times the number of children whose deaths are
caused by small-pox, scarlet fever, diphtheria and typhoid fever all
combined. Whooping cough causes nearly twice the number of
deaths accredited to the other four named infectious diseases.
Diphtheria.—The number of cases notified was 186, all except
3 of which were admitted to isolation hospital. Of these, 22
were subsequently sent home as not suffering from diphtheria, one
case proved to be scarlet fever, one case proved to be laryngitis,
9 cases were diagnosed as tonsilitis, 1 measles, 10 were described
as " not diphtheria," and in one case the notification certificate
was withdrawn after the patient's admission to hospital, leaving 163
true cases of diphtheria. There were 5 deaths, so that 3 per cent.
of all the patients died. The number of cases was 38 less than last
year ; the number of deaths is 1 less than in 1925.
The 3 cases treated at home were kept under observation ;
suitable measures were adopted to secure isolation, and the premises
were disinfected upon the recovery of the patients.