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19
1908, 4.8; and it is a point for congratulation that for the
whole five years the case mortality was about one per 100,
and even this rate may become less. There can be no doubt
that in the last 20 years considerable modification has occurred
in this disease. Whether this is due to systematic
isolation or to other causes outside our present knowledge
cannot be definitely decided. Still it must be a suggestive
fact, that the period during which isolation has been in force,
corresponds fairly closely with the decrease in the virulence of
the disease.
No definite relationship between school holidays and the
prevalence before, during and after that period, can be detected.
The figures are, however, much too small when distributed
according to the month during which the notifications
have occurred to base any conclusion on.
Diphtheria is a little below the mean, and Enteric Fever,
after a period of increased incidence during the last year, has
fallen to a figure approaching the mean for the previous five
years.
There were three cases of Poliomyelitis (Tooth-Stroke)
notified under the modified regulations. There was no feature
in common in these three instances which in any way indicated
where the infection had arisen.
One death occurred from Measles, as compared with 45 for
the previous year, and one only from Enteric Fever. There
were 15 deaths from hooping Cough, a number which indicate
an excessive prevalence of that disease, 11 of these occurred
amongst infants of under one year. The sequence of
an epidemic of whooping cough following measles is a phenomenon
frequently observed.