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14
Chicken Pox.—This disease, owing to the possibility of its being
mistaken for Small-pox was made notifiable, and 101 cases were
notified. In the absence of any case of Small-pox for more than
six months past, I do not think it is necessary for Chicken Pox to
be any longer notifiable.
Scarlet Fever.—Forty cases of this disease were notified. It did
not assume an epidemic zone in any locality. Twenty-seven of
these patients were removed to the Isolatior hospital. The disease
was of a mild type, not a single case ending fatally.
Enteric Fever.—Twenty-nine cases were notified. Six deaths were
caused by this disease. Of the twenty-nine cases (sixteen of which
were treated at the Isolation Hospital), fifteen occurred in Dagenham
parish, five in Hornchurch, and six in Rainham.
Diphtheria.—Thirty-four cases were notified, three deaths.
Eight cases were treated in Hospital. The Council decided, in cases
of diphtheria to provide anti-diphtheritic serums gratuitously to
medical men attending cases of this disease amongst the poor, and
this privilege has been made use; of by several medical men of the
district.
Measles prevailed extensively in various parts of the district,
but, as it is not a notifiable disease, I cannot estimate the number of
cases. Eight deaths were caused by this disease. I have no doubt
that this disease becomes so generally epidemic through school
attendance. If the disease were a notifiable one we should have a
chance (which we have not now) of limiting its extension by seeing
to the exclusion from school of children from infected houses.
It will be seen from the subjoined table the degree in which
infectious disease prevailed in the various parishes of the district,
Dagenham being by far the greatest source of infectious diseases, a
condition which I hope will be altered when the system of sewerage,
now in course of arrangement, is completed.