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should be prohibited by law under heavy penalties, and that all unpolluted
layings, fattening beds and storage ponds at present in use
should be protected by law from pollution by sewage by any person or
sanitary authority; and that a letter embodying this opinion be sent to
the Local Government Board and the London County Council; also that
the co-operation of the several Metropolitan Borough Councils be
invited."
The Council has since received replies from the London County
Council and twenty-three Borough Councils that they concurred with
the action of the City, and had addressed the Local Government Board
on the subject. That body has forwarded the resolutions, together with
copies of reports made by various medical officers, including that of this
(per cent.itv, to the Commission on Sewage which is at present sitting.
Bacteriological Diagnosis.—Advantage was taken of the Councilper cent.s
offer in twenty-five instances, and in twelve of these a positive Widal
reaction was obtained on the first trial, in two the reaction was obtained
on a subsequent examination; in two cases in which the first trial
gave a feeble reaction, the second gave a negative. One case which
gave a negative reaction twice was notified, although the medical man
in attendance had some doubt as to the true nature of the case, but
eventually the wife of the patient developed similar symptoms.
There are a number of cases which simulate typhoid fever very
closely, and are due to some modified or allied form of organism; probably
the typhoid organism is one of a group (the bacillus coli group) of
organisms, any one of which may produce symptoms of greater or less
severity, according to the nearness of the relationship to the typhoid
organism.
Plague.—12 intimations were received from Port Sanitary
Authorities that persons from ships on which cases of plague had
occurred, or which came from infected ports, were on their way to this
City, the persons were kept under observation, but fortunately 110 cases
resulted.
(2) Other Communicable Diseases.
Besides the diseases which are legally notified, there are others
which add materially to the death-rate, or which interfere seriously
with educational work. Measles and whooping-cough belong to both
divisions, diarrhoea to the former, chicken-pox and mumps to the latter.
Diarrheal Diseases. — 55 deaths were ascribed to diarrhoea or
zymotic enteritis, in addition to which 27 deaths were ascribed to simple
enteritis, and 6 to colitis. The diarrhoea rate per 1,000 inhabitants was
0per cent.48, compared with 0per cent.53 for London.
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