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in one house; five cases in one house; eighteen oases in one institution. The
removals to hospital numbered 195, an isolation percentage of 92.42.
There was one death, giving a fatality of 0.47 per cent. of cases notified,
and a death-rate of 0.15 per 1,000 of the population. Besides, one case
was notified from the Edmonton Infirmary, who was not an Edmonton
resident, and was treated in our Hospital. There were no duplicated
notifications, but one for re-admission.
Secondary cases numbered 25 out of 193 (excluding 18 cases from
Halliwick.)
Return Cases.—See section on " Hospitals."
On October 31st, a parent was summoned under Section 126 of
the Public Health Act, 1875, for wilfully exposing a child in a public
elementary school whilst the child was still in an infectious condition,
and fined 10s. and costs by the Magistrates. This punishment for
disregard of the public health had a salutary effect throughout the
district.
Scarlet Fever at "Halliwick." At the Sanitary
Committee meeting, on 6th March, I reported that twenty cases of scarlet
fever had occurred in the large institution for crippled girls on the
north-western boundary of the; district, and that in conjunction with Dr.
Sears, the Medical Officer of the institution, I had taken all the necessary
steps to prevent the spread of the disease.
At the same meeting, the Inspector of Nuisances stated that the
drainage of this institution had been examined and found to be in
good condition, but the Lodge attached had a cesspool, about which he
was in communication with the Secretary. During March, seven further
cases occurred in the house, and the Inspector reported that the work of
drainage of the Lodge was in hand. In May, the Inspector reported
that the reconstruction of the drainage of the Lodge had been carried
out satisfactorily, the cesspool emptied and filled in, and the rainwater
gutters repaired. The milk supply was found blameless, and investigations
made it appear probable that the disease had been imported by
some clothing sent in by an inmate's friends.
Diphtheria and Membranous Croup. The latter, Membranous
croup, is only an old-fashioned phrase for diphtheria, presenting
symptoms mostly confined to the larynx. I received notifications of 136
cases during the year, compared with 43, 52, and 110 in 1911-10-9, and
they represent an attack rate of 2.09 per thousand of the population. The
cases occurred in 70 streets and 112 houses. One case occurred in 92
houses; two cases in 16 houses; three cases in 4 houses. The cases
removed to hospital numbered 123, being 90.44 per cent. of those notified.