View report page

35
difficult to secure the adoption of proper precautions. If the last
reason was the only one that could be put forward against the
notification of measles, it would be argued that no doubt, in
time, the public would gradually become alive to the importance
of co-operating in checking its spread, but, apart from this, the
characteristics of the disease seem to be such that notification
fails in leading to appreciable prevention, and therefore entails
an expenditure which does not yield an adequate return.
If the notification, in regard to measles, of first cases only,
or infected houses, could be required, as much benefit would
accrue as under the present system, and the saving thereby
effected could be more usefully employed by requiring the notification
of Diarrhoea and Phthisis.
Whooping Cough.—This disease caused only two deaths, and
it is safe to presume that it was not very prevalent in 1894, a
fact of some interest, because it has frequently been observed
that epidemics of measles and of whooping cough occur concurrently.
Diarrhoea.—The year 1894 was, almost everywhere, marked
by an unusually low prevalence of this disease, due mainly, no
doubt, to the cold, wet summer of that year, contrasting
sharply with the experience of the previous hot year. Nine
deaths, only, occurred in the District, as compared with 20 in
1893, and an annual average during the preceding 10 years of
over 13. Six of the deaths occurred in Mitcham. In accordance
with a suggestion from the Local Government Board, made
in view of a possible reappearance of cholera, the Sanitary
Authority adopted "acute diarrhoea" as a notifiable disease from
the beginning of September until the 30th of that month.
During that period, five case were notified, all of which occurred
in Mitcham. Three of the cases occurred in two adjoining
houses, supplied with water from the same cistern, which had
evidently become fouled in some way; everybody who drank
the water suffered from diarrhoea, or other abdominal trouble.