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the milk, in the scab or the purulent matter from base of sore. That
certain cows whose milk was mixed with other milk and distributed chiefly
to this district suffered from a papular eruption, quickly becoming vesicular
and then pustular is a fact, that the unboiled milk consumed by persons
appeared to produce sore-throat and Diphtheria is equally a fact, also
that where a baby in a family got boiled milk and other members of the
same family took milk, unboiled, the baby escaped but the other persons
suffered, the difficulty has been to demonstrate the presence of the
Bacillus Lœffler in the milk or the eruption on the cow's teat, it therefore
cannot be stated with certainty that the cows were suffering from a
disease that could produce Diphtheria in the human subject. The
practical conclusion to be drawn from this illness and investigation is that
the cows in dairy-farms should be inspected from time to time by a
veterinary surgeon who should hold office under a Local Authority.
Whooping Cough.
This illness was present in the South Ward in the early part of the
year and later in the Centre Ward. Five deaths were registered from
this disease. I attribute the prevalence of this illness entirely due to the
fact that parents allow infected children to mix freely with healthy
children. It should be well-known Whooping Cough is an infectious
disease and spreads rapidly amongst young persons, also that it is most
fatal to infants under one year of age. It would be an immense
advantage to include this illness in the Schedule of Notifiable diseases.
Measures Existing in the District for the Prevention of
Infectious Diseases.
Isolation.
Your Authority has considered the question of Isolation, and made
further arrangements in the event that the Enfield Local Authority should
not be able to take cases of Scarlet Fever that the Finchley Local
Authority would be willing to receive any cases of Scarlet Fever, this
arrangement has so far not failed, but it is a matter for your future
consideration to erect a building in your own District for your separate
use. No district in my opinion can be sufficiently fortified to resist the
spread of infectious illness, that does not possess a building of its own to
isolate such illness. The arrangement with the Highgate Small-pox
Hospital to receive any cases of Small-pox still exists.
Disinfection.
Disinfection after infectious illness is superintended by the Sanitary.
Inspector, Sulphur is burnt, the rooms thoroughly cleansed, lime-whited,
and re-papered. The provision of some means of disinfecting bedding,
clothes, etc., is necessary.