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58
CONTROL OF DISEASE
There was no marked change in the incidence
of infectious disease in 1937 as compared with 1936.
A slight reduction in the number of cases of Scarlet
fever, Enteric fever and Erysipelas was offset by
some increase in Pneumonia, Dysentery and the
Puerperal infections.
Among the non-notifiable diseases, the fall in
measles cases was counter-balanced by an unfortunate
rise in the number of cases of whooping
cough.
Diphtheria.
There were 222 cases of diphtheria notified during
the year. The age grouping of the cases is given in
the accompanying table. All the cases were
removed to an isolation hospital.
4 deaths from this disease occurred during the
year, equivalent to a case mortality of 1.8 per cent.,
or general death rate of 0.04 per 1,000 of the population.
From information received from the hospitals
it would appear that in at least 39 cases (or 13.1 per
cent, of the total) the diagnosis of Diphtheria was not
confirmed. 22 cases developed in hospital 7
of these being hospital staff, while there were
9 " second cases " in families in which a case had
recently occurred.
Anti-diphtheritic serum is stocked at the Town
Hall and supplied free on the order of a doctor;
32,000 units were supplied during the year.