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1ll
31 being one of the patients in group 37. At the
close of the sequence of cases in group 31 disinfection
of the premises, &c., was carried out by the Department.
From the date of the official disinfection up
to the time of writing, no further cases have
occurred.
The two cases included in group 38 were two
notifications with regard to the same patient. The
boy was removed to hospital when first notified to be
ill with diphtheria, was detained there for about a
month, and within a week of his return home had a
relapse of the disease, was re-admitted, and died.
The foregoing remarks dispose of 51 out of the
54 groups of cases tabulated. The remaining three
groups, viz., Nos. 24, 33, and 36, could not be explained
on any of the before-mentioned grounds. Of
these groups, No. 24 may be eliminated from present
consideration, inasmuch as the disinfection after the
primary case was done privately, and certified to by
the medical attendant. There remain, therefore, but
two groups which, supposing all independent sources
of infection be excluded, an exclusion which cannot
be demonstrated, were due to breakdown in the process
of disinfection.
During the year, disinfection of the sick room
was carried out by the Department 257 times after
diphtheria and membranous croup. The two breakdowns
would, therefore, be equivalent to 0.7 per cent.
of the total disinfections. The cases secondary to