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33
the causes of the infectious diseases
prevalent in the district.
This is a short statement as to conditions in Edmonton at the present time
that favour the spread of diseases such as scarlet fever, diphtheria, enteric fever
and measles; conditions which it is in your power to remove or to mitigate.
I should like to point out that epidemics of infectious disease (like comets)
appear and disappear in cycles, that is, for recurring periods. This habit is
well exemplified in plague, cholera and small-pox which cannot be said to be
dependent on local insanitary conditions, which may be more or less permanent.
In Edmonton, during the war years 1915-18, both scarlet fever and diphtheria
cases were few, but the children born during that period have provided
material for the attacks in 1919, 1920 and 1921. Enteric fever, both during
and since the war-period, has not troubled Edmonton much: in 1914-15-16-1718-19-20
there were 17-5-6-2-5-0-2 cases respectively.
I might here remark that the prevalence of scarlet fever and measles has
not been found to have any relation to the existence of gross insanitary defects
in an area.
Conditions in Edmonton, present or recent. that favour the spread
.
of infectious disease are:—
1. Overcrowding.—By increasing personal contact in living and (or)
sleeping rooms. This exists in two degrees:—
(a) Temporary from war conditions. The establishment of huge
munition works created an influx of persons into Edmonton from
other areas, far and near. Since the armistice was declared in
November, 1918, some of these have moved off to their former
homes, but a number still remain.
(b) Permanent.—This may be existing in, or both, of two forms—
(i) too many persons in a house: (ii) two many houses per acre. The
latter is an error of the past which the present Council cannot
retrieve, but I trust that in the future my Council will not consent
to the erection of houses 30 to the acre, or of houses with only
two rooms upstairs. The former can be remedied when new