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Diarrhœa is a disease which is so commonly intimately
dependent on sanitary shortcomings, that great benefit would,
beyond a doubt, accrue to the District if it were, in its acute
form, a notifiable disease, as has been mentioned under the
subject of measles.
Notification of Infectious Disease outside the District.—A
report was presented to the Sanitary Authority during the year,
showing that it would be very useful if periodical information
could be given of the prevalence of infectious disease in the Districts
adjoining this, and, in consequence, a communication was
addressed to the Surrey County Council, asking if arrangements
could be made by which this could be effected. The County
Council received the suggestion cordially, and it is understood
that in the coming year, provided it can be mutually arranged,
Dr. Seaton will be enabled to supply the various Medical Officers
of Health in the county with periodical returns for their information,
showing the prevalence in each District of certain
diseases—returns which will necessarily be of great value, and
probably tend to check the spread of disease from one District to
another.
IV.—ISOLATION AND DISINFECTION.
The'year 1894 has been the first complete year during which
this District has been without an Isolation Hospital. Until
September, 1893, patients from the District were admitted into
the infectious wards of the Croydon Union Infirmary, but in
consequence of the objections of the Local Government Board,
since that date this accommodation has not been available, except
for the comparatively small number who are classed as " paupers."
Our means of dealing with outbreaks of infectious disease
have thus been seriously interfered with, and the result is
plainly shown in the history of the prevalence of diphtheria in
the District in 1894, when it frequently happened that several
cases occurred in a house, owing to the impossibility of procuring
anything like efficient isolation.