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PREVALENCE AND CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
From the table of infectious diseases set out in
Table 1, it will be noted that 193 cases of infectious
disease were notified during the year as against 587
in the previous year. The decrease in the total
number of infectious diseases notified during the year
was, of course, almost entirely due to the fact that
1958 was not a "measles year".
I can add little to the paragraphs contained in
my Report for 1957 which dealt with the notification of
infectious diseases and with the question of epidemiology
as a socialogical entity. I must, however, repeat
that, after very careful consideration, I am of opinion
that the present system of notification should be reviewed
in its entirety in the light of present knowledge
and experience. Although it is very right that e
should continue - at least for the time being - to
receive notifications of even the milder type of infectious
disease, two facts are becoming increasingly
obvious. There is at least a proportion of dead wood
which could profitably be removed. More important,
much more important, certain diseases, some of them noninfectious,
might well be added to the list of diseases
which are reported to the Public Health Department.
This is not, of course, a matter which has any local
significance, but rather falls within the designation
of a national problem. If the Public Health
ment and the Urban District Council are concerned with
all matters which affect the health of the inhabitants
of the district - and this has been clearly established
then it follows logically that we should have the fullest
possible information, not only of conditions which are
likely to affect health, but of diseases which are
materially affecting not only the health but the lives
of young and old. Thus, although we know at any
time how many cases of scarlet fever or measles are
occurring in the district, we usually have to wait until
the receipt of a death certificate before we are aware
of cases of cancer, acute fatal rheumatism and heart
diseases. Yet, in the category of the common infectious
diseases, scarlet fever is an extremely mild disease
today; while in the case of measles, we do little more
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