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19
Scarlet Fever.
The number of cases of Scarlet Fever notified during the last
twelve months was 419 and the number of deaths 8, a remarkably
small mortality, clearly shewing the disease was of a very
mild character. In all cases the schools which children from an
infected house attended, were at once advised, a copy of each
certificate being sent to the Head Master and the children excluded
from school. Before the children were allowed to return,
the parents were required to shew that the premises had been
properly disinfected; this is done by a card being left at the
homes as soon as disinfection has been carried out by your
officers. I have reason to believe that this method has done
good and made parents more careful in preventing the spread of
infection. vVe had one case in which the parents shewed an
utter disregard for the precautions given to them, and allowed
a child in the peeling stage, the most infectious period, to run
about the streets. This was reported to your Sanitary Committee,
and it was felt that an example ought to be made in
order to protect others. A summons was taken out against the
father of the child, for "exposing an infectious child in the
public streets," and was fined 10s. and costs.
Typhoid or Enteric Fever.
During the last few years this disease has shewn a sign of
steady decrease; in 1896 the number of cases occurring in this
district was 115; in 1897, 82 cases; and in 1898,. only 58 cases.
As this disease is readily disseminated by means of discharges
getting into defective drains, the remedying of defects in house
drains will tend to still further decrease the number of cases.
As the mortality of the disease is still large, every means that
can be taken to prevent its spread ought to be taken; the drains
in all cases have been tested, and where found defective, have
been remedied.