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16
similarly suspected. It is impossible to be certain what this means,
but various explanations suggest themselves :—
(1). During the winter months children are much more
subject to " common colds." Should a child take " cold " on
its way home from the hospital it will suffer from nasal discharge,
and that nasal discharge will in all probability be
capable of conveying to other children any residual infection
remaining in the nose of the discharged patient. - Similarly
slight sore throats are potentially capable of re-lighting
infection.
(2). ft is possible that children do not throw off infection so
rapidly in the winter time, when outdoor exercise is naturally
somewhat curtailed.
(3). The wards are usually fuller during the winter months,
and though there has never been any overcrowding, it is
possible that the fact that ventilation not being so thorough as
in the summer time acts prejudicially on scarlet fever patients.
It is for this, among other reasons, that the Hospital Committee
are considering the advisability of installing additional heating
apparatus, so that freer ventilation may be maintained without
any inconvenience to the inmates and with, it is hoped, advantage
to their health.
EPIDEMIC INFLUENZA was the assigned cause of death in 30
instances as compared with 27 in 1904.
WHOOPING COUGH accounted for 31 deaths, 30 of which
occurred in children under live years of age. The number of cases
is unknown, but 353 school notices were necessitated by those
coming to the knowledge of the department.
DIPHTHERIA AND MEMBRANOUS CROUP: —The number of
cases notified amounted to 266 as compared with 312 in 1904, and
259 in 1903, while 25 cases terminated fatally. Seventy per cent, of
the cases were isolated at the Borough Hospital.
The cases were fairly evenly distributed throughout the Borough
but Thornton Heath and Upper Norwood had less than their share
of this disease. The method of dealing with the cases is substantially
the same as that prescribed in the last Annual Report.