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gave what general advice was possible as to its prevention.
The measures to be adopted are the isolation
of recognised cases for a sufficiently long period; the
avoidance of the aggregation of large numbers of people,
as at meetings and concerts, and particularly so with
regard to those who are in feeble health, or have any
weakness of the respiratory organs; and lastly, complete
rest in bed, for the sake of the patient, where the illness
has unmistakably developed. Fatal results have almost
always been due to pulmonary complications, particularly
pneumonia, which undoubtedly is liable to come on in a
ccrtain proportion of the attacks, especially in persons
of feeble constitutional strength. With regard to the
action to be taken by the Sanitary Authorities, we are
decidedly of opinion that no benefit commensurate at all
with the expenditure both of money and labour that
would be required, would result from adding it to the
schedule of infectious diseases in which notification is
required, and by attempting to apply the same preventive
measures as for scarlet fever. The number
notified in a single day during an epidemic would be
enormous, and probably not a tithe of them would be
recognised and notified early enough to be of any use.
It is to be hoped we shall again have a long period of
freedom from this capricious disease, which has in former
times remained absent for many years after a short series
of annual epidemics.
Small-pox has again not been the cause of a single
death. There were 4 modified cases notified, however.
Scarlet Fever caused only 5 deaths, to which should be
added 2 that took place in the Asylums Board Hospitals.
The number of deaths in 1890 was 2. The number of
notifications received during the year was 453. The case
mortality was therefore l.5 per cent., showing that a
mild type of disease prevailed.