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73
The deaths from Scarlet Fever declined from 34 in
1880, and 13 in 1881, to 9 in 1882 when only 5 cases
were sent into Hospital and 25 houses disinfected after
the Disease.
Measles contributed five, and Whooping Cough
nine deaths.
From Typhus and Typhoid Fevers only one death
arose.
Diarrhoea, Dysentry, and Cholera proved fatal in
three cases only.
The deaths from all these Epidemic Diseases fell
below half the average number of the previous nine
years. Doubtless climatic conditions conduced to this
result, the temperature throughout the year was
equable, there were few of those sudden changes
from hot to cold in the summer months which so often
occur in this country; the rainfall was superabundant,
flushing well the sewers and otherwise retarding
evaporation and preventing the diffusion of noxious
gases, but though these conditions might retard they
would not arrest the spread of such diseases as Small
Pox and Scarlet Fever, and these diseases have been
suppressed in the case of Small Pox, and reduced to
an ordinary amount in the case of Scarlet Fever by the
diligent and persistent use of the Sanitary measures we
have at our disposal, viz., isolation, vaccination, disinfection,
fumigations, etc., and though these means
have proved effectual, still, I think the end would have
been attained sooner had we had a more rapid and easy
way of getting infectious cases removed to special
Hospitals. The present method is tedious and brings
persons from infected houses into frequent contact with
the general public, and this tends to the spread of disease.
The subject is now receiving attention, which will I
hope lead to improvement in this direction.