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37
"tering Antitoxin. It is, however, satisfactory to find that during
"the year, out of a total of 195 cases discharged, 50 were admitted
"already injected with Antitoxin—one in every four—while the
"figures for the previous year were only one in every five. Still, I
"am looking forward to the time when every case will come in
"with the treatment begun."
ENTERIC FEVER.
Seven cases of this disease were notified during the year, and
I venture to think it is doubtful whether all were genuine. Careful
investigation failed to shew any source of infection in some of the
cases, and the sanitary condition of all the houses was quite
satisfactory.
Enteric Fever has become almost obsolete in this District, and
whenever a genuine case does occur, it can almost invariably be
traced to outside causes.
POLIOMYELITIS.
Only three cases were notified during the year, and there were
no deaths.
Particulars of each case were carefully collected and forwarded
to the Local Government Board.
One of the cases, a boy of 12 years, turned out to be Landry's
Disease; another, a girl of 6½ years, proved to be Acute Rheumatism,
while the other, a boy of 7 years, was notified as suffering from
Poliomyelitis having paralysis in both legs. He has now quite
recovered.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM.
This disease became notifiable by an Order of the Local
Government Board on the 1st April, 1914.
The expression "Ophthalmia Neonatorum" means a purulent
discharge from the eyes of an infant commencing within 21 days of
the date of its birth, and it was a matter of much importance that
the disease should become compulsorily notifiable, as a large proportion
of the blindness contracted in childhood is due to the neglect of
proper precautions against the disease.
Nine cases were notified during the year by Midwives and
and Medical men.