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ment with the former is that a larger proportion of infecting cases is found
among those patients who are detained for periods varying between 8 and
12 weeks than among those whose stay in hospital is either shorter than
8 or longer than 10 weeks. It is legitimate to suggest that the reason
for this peculiarity is to be seen in the fact that cases discharged in less
than 8 weeks are instances of mild infection, in which the power of
contagion is also mild, while, on the other hand, a detention of over 10
weeks usually gives time for the infective agent to die out. Another point
in which the two reports are in accord is in uprooting the ancient belief
in the special contagiousness of the peeling stage of the disease. We read
in the present report: " The above figures are, therefore, what we should
expect if late desquamation has no relation to power of conveying infection.
If any such connexion exists it must be insignificant in amount."
It is, however, unfortunate that while taking away this old criterion of
infectivity our more recent mentors supply no other test to take its place.
The difficulties of investigating in this direction are, however, very considerable
in view of the multiplicity of fever hospitals and of the necessarily
promiscuous manner in which cases from any one district are sent to one
or another of them according to the existence of vacant beds. " Return "
cases from one hospital are thus often sent to another, and the difficulty
of tracing sources of infection is greatly increased, We congratulate the
able medical officers of the Asylums Board on the extent to which they
have overcome the difficulties presented, and hope that the subject of
" return " infection may continue to receive attention at their hands in
years to come. The matter is one upon which the public requires precise
medical guidance.
CONTINUED AND TYPHUS FEVERS.
No cases of Continued Fever and no cases of Typhus Fever were
notified during the year.