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54
Schools.
Out of the cases notified, only 258 were of children who at
the time they fell ill, were attending school. There was again
comparatively little association of cases through school attendance.
Two cases occurred in the same department of a school within one
week 11 times; three cases in the week 3 times; and four eases
once. On one occasion three cases occurred over two weeks, and
on another occasion four cases in the two weeks. The most
striking apparent association of the disease with school attendance
that has occurred in this district in the new school buildings was
at an infants' department from October 13th to December 31st,
when 19 children attending the department succumbed to this
disease. The cases occurred irregularly throughout this time, but
with usually less than one week's interval separating their times of
onset. As however it was just at this period that the weekly
incidence was about 25, and as the children were scattered through
different classes in the department, it is improbable that much
of the infection was actually contracted by school attendance.
No schools were closed on account of the disease, and no
schools or rooms fumigated.
Enteric Fever.
Two notifications of enteric fever were received. One case
however, turned out to be pneumonia. The other was a ease of
para-typhoid fever who contracted the disease whilst staying in a
district in which this infection was temporarily prevalent.
Erysipelas.
36 cases of erysipelas were notified, 19 male and 17 female,
of whom 18 were admitted to hospital—7 to the Isolation Hospital
and 11 to Oldchurch Hospital. Four cases proved fatal, 3 being
of males of ages 46, 16 and 81, and one female of 57. The face
was the region most commonly affected, the ear being the site in
two instances and the leg in one. Nearly one-half of the cases
occurred in the last three months of the year; this coincided with
the time of greatest prevalence of scarlet fever.
Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis.
Two cases of this disease were notified during the year.
March a boy of 9 suffered from an attack which proved fatal, an
in October a boy of 10 months recovered from the illness.
Acute Anterior Poliomyelitis.
In May a boy of 5 suffered from a fatal attack of poliomyelitis.