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43
Provision of Diphtheria Antitoxin.
A supply of Antitoxin is kept at the Council Offices, where
it can be obtained at any hour day or night. The immense
importance of the prompt use of this remedy in the treatment
of Diphtheria cannot be over-estimated, statistics furnishing
over-whelming proof of the increase in fatality the longer its
administration is delayed. 86,000 units of Antitoxin were
supplied by the Council during the year.
Measles.
Measles was very prevalent in the spring of the year,
and 3 deaths were registered. It is a highly infectious
disease and spreads rapidly in schools. The rash of measles
does not appear until three or four days after the commencement
of the infectious period; during the interval the child
often has the appearance of merely suffering from "a cold
in the head." It became necessary to resort to closure of
departments in six schools.
Whooping Cough.
More than the usual number of cases of Whooping Cough
ocourred, and 10 deaths were registered, as compared with
4 in the year 1910. All the deaths were among children
under the age of 5 years.
Enteric Fever.
Three cases of Enteric Fever were notified. Two of them
gave positive Widal reactions. In the other, although several
specimens of blood were examined, the positive reaction was not
obtained. Careful investigation in each case failed to discover
the source of infection, and the patients resided in quite
different parts of the district. The water supply in all three
houses was from the public supply, and no suspicion rested
upon any food which had been taken. No serious sanitary
defect was found on any of the premises. All the patients
made a good recovery.