View report page

23
danger to the community. Special care was taken throughout the
year in investigating the cases of enteric fever, to discover what part
watercress and uncooked shell fish might have played in their
causation.
It was found that seven of the patients had partaken of one or
other of these foods, to a greater or less extent. Three had eaten
both shell fish and watercress previous to their onset, two watercress
alone and two shell fish alone. There is nothing in these figures
that points conclusively to the articles in question having been, on
this occasion, the source of infection, as, from a personal observation
I believe that the number of people in the district who eat both
watercress and shell fish is in itself a large one. The point, however,
is always a necessary one to investigate thoroughly, as at any
time the supply of these articles may be contaminated and give rise
to many and wide spread cases of the disease.
Measles. There were 28 deaths from this disease as compared
with 15, 19 and 10 in the three prece ding years. This is equal to
a death rate from measles of 0.52. The greatest mortality occurred
in the second age period (1 to 5 years) in which group it accounted
for nearly 6 per cent, of the deaths. This is the period at which
children first begin school attendance in the baby and infant classes,
and to this fact is to be chiefly ascribed the wide and rapid spread
of the disease during its epidemic periods.
Measles was very prevalent in the first half of the year when
most of the deaths occurred. Owing to the disease being infectious
for some time before its leading symptoms manifest themselves, it
is one that is very difficult to control by ordinary means. The large
aggregation of children in schools makes the task in urban
districts almost impossible, especially where, as is the case in most
schools, children under 5 years are admitted.
To be in a position to control the outbreaks that periodically
arise, it is necessary to have as complete information as possible of
those families in which children are suffering from the disease.