View report page

32
seriousness, and that result would I think follow if each
case had to be notified. In all cases of death I have had
the rooms fumigated with sulphurous acid and in such
other cases as happened to come to my knowledge.
Whooping Cough was the cause of 18 deaths, also almost
entirely from pulmonary troubles. Here again, these
deaths are no doubt largely preventible, and are found
to occur only in the houses of the poor, in spite of the
fact that rich and poor suffer from the disease alike.
Diarrhcea accounted for 18 deaths, a larger number
than in last year, but below the average of the last 10
years.
Erysipelas.—44 cases were notified and it was the cause
of 1 death. It is difficult to see any benefit that results
from the inclusion of this disease in the Notification Act.
Very many of the cases notified are of a trivial character,
and it has often been found that persons whose illnesses
have been notified have been continuing to go about
their business. It is very possible that the framers of
the Act did not contemplate its application to such cases,
but it would be impossible to draw a line including some
and excluding others.
Disinfection. Rooms in 113 houses were fumigated with
sulphurous acid. In a large number of instances the
bedding and other contents of rooms have been disinfected
by super heated steam by the contractor. The
expense of this procedure has fallen on the Board where
the occupiers could not reasonably afford to pay, and
has amounted during the year to £34 6s. 2d.
The Board under the powers conferred by the Diseases
Prevention Act, 1890, fitted up a room in the buildings
in the parish yard, to be temporarily occupied by
families turned out of their houses for purposes of