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44
Medical Officers of Health Annual Report.
The number removed to hospital was 80 or 47.3 per
cent. There was a good deal of difficulty in getting the
patients removed from time to time owing to the lack of
beds available at the hospitals.
Diphtheria.
The number of cases notified was 108 and 4
of membranous croup, as against 125 and 1 in the previous
year. There was a slight fall therefore, but not to
any great extent. The number of deaths was 19, 8 at
hospital and 11 at their homes. This is a satisfactory
fall from 39, the number in 1894.
The per-centage of deaths to cases was 17.5 as
against 30.9 last year. Therefore diphtheria was not only
less prevalent than in 1894, but was of a more benign
type. The number of cases in the different months was
as follows:—
January 10. July 21.
February 6. August 6.
March 7. September 4.
April 8. October 12.
May 5. November 9.
June 12. December 8.
The greatest number of cases occurred in July and the
fewest in September; August and September had fewer
together than any other 2 months.
Very searching investigation was made into the sanitary
condition of the houses where the cases occurred, and
in only 47 could any serious fault be found, either as regards
drains, dampness, or dirtiness.
There appear to be two factors, at all events, that
have to be considered in reference to its spread, one that
of conveyance from person to person, and to that much
attention is being directed at the present time; and the