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19
NON NOTIFIABLE EPIDEMIC DISEASES.
The immense cost which the community is called upon to bear in order that persons suffering
from Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria, and certain other notifiable diseases may be removed from their
homes and isolated in Hospital diverts in some measure the attention of the public from the very
heavy mortality which results from epidemics of the diseases which are not notifiable. The part
played by these two artificial classes of disease has accordingly been represented in the following
'J able of deaths occurring in the year 1912.
Epidemic
Notifiable. Deaths, 1912.
Diphtheria 5
Erysipelas 5
Scarlet Fever 5
Enteric Fever 4
19
Diseases.
Non-Notifiable. Deaths, 1912.
Measles 27
Whooping Cough 25
Influenza 28
Diarrhoea 70
150
Comment on such figures is unnecessary, except to say that they illustrate the urgency of
the problem presented by such diseases as diarrhoea and measles without necessarily indicating
notification as the solution. The following Table shows the seasonal incidence of deaths from
the non-notifiable epidemic diseases and the age periods in which death occurs:—