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12
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
There have been 695 notifications of infectious disease
received during the year. Scarlet fever has been somewhat
more prevalent than in past years, there having been 416 cases
reported. There has been slightly less diphtheria than in 1906,
whilst Typhoid fever has been markedly reduced as compared
with the previous year.
Of the cases reported a very considerable number were removed
to hospital for treatment, viz:—
Scarlet fever 389 or 90.38 per cent. of the cases notified.
Diphtheria 108 „ 86.0 „ „ „
Enteric fever 17 „ 68.0 „ „ „
Erysipelas 30 „ 24.0 „ „ „
The notification-rate or proportion to population of cases of
infectious disease notified during the year is 5.44 per thousand.
The St. John's District appears to have suffered but little
from any infectious disease with the exception of scarlet fever,
of which it had a fair share.
The curve prepared by the late Medical Officer of Health
shows in bold lines the seasonal variation in the incidence of
Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria, and Typhoid Fever as compared with
the average for the preceding ten years (faint dotted lines).
In the case of Scarlet Fever, the departures from the
average have been somewhat frequent and in the second half of
the year rather pronounced.
The Diphtheria curve has on several occasions followed
that of Scarlet Fever, a coincidence reminding one of the now
prevalent theory that the two diseases are near relations.
Typhoid fever has moved but very little from the abscissa
or base-line, and —probably owing to the prolonged cold and
wet weather which took the place of summer in 1907—there is
no indication of a rise in the curve during late autumn and
early winter.