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36
ISOLATION HOSPITAL.
The "temporary" hospital built some 25 years ago, consisting
of blocks constructed of corrugated iron, and adjacent to the
Sewage and Destructor Works, has, with sundry additions and
improvements from time to time, continued in spite of its nonideal
construction and surroundings to do good and efficient work.
As in all such buildings it is difficult to maintain an even temperature,
and flies, innumerable in the late summer, are an intolerable
nuisance, although to them, curiously enough, no dire unhealthy
effects such as epidemic diarrhoea, from which disease there has
been remarkable freedom, have been traced.
Five isolation blocks provide normally for 70 cases of Scarlet
Fever and 22 cases of Diphtheria, but owing to the extra large
number of cases of Diphtheria requiring accommodation on
account of the epidemic already referred to, some of the Scarlet
Fever wards were utilised for Diphtheria cases. It fortunately
happened that very few Scarlet Fever cases occurred at the time.
No untoward occurrences resulted from this arrangement.

246 cases of Diphtheria and 155 cases of Scarlet Fever were
admitted.
Only one case required Tracheotomy.
Ten deaths resulted from Diphtheria. With the exception of
one, a child of 2 years of age, who died of paralysis after 68 days'
stay in hospital, the average time spent in hospital by those who
died was 5.4 days.
One of the wardmaids contracted Diphtheria, but she made
an uninterrupted recovery.
No death occurred among the Scarlet Fever patients.
The medical staff remains as formerly. There is no resident,
and the Medical Officer of Health is in sole medical charge,
assisted by Dr. John Kennedy, a local practitioner, who attends in
emergencies.
It is pleasing to record that the nursing and domestic staff,
under the superintendence of the matron, who is now entering
upon her 27th year of residence, have performed their duties in a