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1913] 120

These figures are worth pondering over, for they indicate that not only
have the actual cases decreased from an average of 3,238 in the five years
1891-5 to an average of 1,835 in the three years 1911-1913, or 43.4 per cent.,
but that the deaths have decreased to even a greater degree, namely, from
an average of 307 to 81, or 73.6 per cent., which are truly wonderful figures.
In period after period, too, the decreases have been continuous, which is a
proof that they are no casual occurrences, but the result of factors which
have been continuously at work, the chief of which are the amelioration of
the conditions under which the people live, and education, for undoubtedly
it has a great influence for good on the habits of the people, and the conduct
of their homes.
Hospital Isolation.—Although on several occasions the cases isolated
in hospital have exceeded the number of those removed during the year, yet
never before has the percentage of the cases so isolated been so high, for it
reached 85.9. We have seen that 2,171 cases were notified, of which 1,866 were
isolated to prevent the spread of infection or for treatment. One great
reason for this increase is that the Education Authority is now more strict
than ever in preventing the attendance at the public schools of children who
have infectious illness in their homes or in the houses in which they reside.
But it is not the Education Authority's Officials alone who put on
pressure to have the children isolated, but also the people with children,
and sometimes without, who live in the house with the person or
persons who have been attacked. Indeed, occasionally an unpleasant
wrangle arises between the families, and, of course, complaint is
made in such cases that the Public Health Department has been negligent,
whereas the truth is that its officials have been strenuously endeavouring to
obtain the consent of the parents or guardians for the patient's removal so
as to avoid recourse to Police Court proceedings to obtain a Magistrate's