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parish by persons returning from the country. Its widespread
prevalence would point rather to the water supply, or to some article
of food almost universally eaten. Before we could attack the water
supply we should have to enquire whether, during the second week
of September, flood water had been discharged into the mains
without having passed properly through the filter beds. Again,
I think, if the water supply had been affected, the disease would
not have been kept within the present bounds. Shell-fish has been
proved over and over again to be the cause of Enteric Fever."
We know that grave pollution of the subsoil of our parish does
take place during storms, by the number of houses more or less
flooded with sewage. This state of things occurs in all the riverside
parishes, especially the southern ones, and it is in those districts
that Diphtheria is most prevalent. It was also in those districts
that this excess in Enteric Fever was most noticeable. This subsoil
pollution may have simply prepared the ground by lowering the
general health of those inhabiting the houses in which this pollution
occurs.
TYPHOID FEVER.
The number of cases notified during 1899 was 111, as against 90
last year. The deaths from the complaint were 23 this year, and
10 last year.
The annual mortality per 1,000 living was 0.19.
Deaths from Typhoid Fever during the last 10 years—
1890 18
1891 12
1892 10
1893 13
1894 14
1895 15
1896 18
1897 9
1898 10
1899 23
DIARRHŒA.
The deaths from this disease were 124 in the year.
The annual rate per 1000 living was 1.00
Deaths from Diarrhœa during the last ten years—
1890 84
1891 77
1892 83
1893 126
1894 53
1895 110
1896 127
1897 165
1898 182
1899 124