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42
SECTION II B.
COMMUNICABLE DISEASES-NON-NOTIFIABLE.
We can partly judge from the prevalence of these diseases by the death
returns. The deaths from whooping cough have been 4 less; the deaths
from diarrhoea have been 11 less than last year; from influenza 4 more than
last year.
A prompter and better knowledge of the prevalence of these diseases is
gained from the notifications received from the head teachers, when they are
sent in fully and regularly to the Medical Officer of Health, as they should
be, in accordance with section 7 of "Instructions to Teachers," issued by the
Education Committee. Some head teachers rely too much on their attendance
officers, and so delay arises in my becoming aware of the suspected cases.
DIARRHOEA.
Thirty-four deaths occurred from diarrhoea and epidemic enteritis, as
compared with 45, 58 and 54 for 1915-14-13. The death-rate from the disease
is 0.48 per thousand of the population, as compared with 0.64 last year.
Of these deaths, 26 occurred in children under one year of age, giving an
infantile mortality rate for the year from this cause of over 15 per thousand
nett births; the figures in 1915-14-13 were 22, 44 and 22 per thousand nett
births. 28 deaths were in children under two years; these contribute to the
zymotic death-rate. There was also one Belgian infant over one year, but
under two years old.
As in previous years, posters were issued on hoardings warning the
public of the dangers due to the prevalence of flies, especially in hot weather,
as productive of fatal diarrhoea amongst young children. On May 17th I
addressed the Women's Co-operative Guild on " Flies and their evil habits."
The Local Weather. The sunshine was well below the average
allowance, and the number of sunless days was high. The rainfall, at 35.23
inches, was heavier even than the bad record of 1915, and has only once been
exceeded in 20 years. The great blizzard on March 28th will not soon be
forgotten, nor the blinding fog of Wednesday evening, December 27th.—
[Abstracted from report of Mr. J. McEwan.]
WHOOPING COUGH.
There were 9 deaths from this cause, as compared with 13, 17 and 9 in
1915-14-13. This is equal to a death rate from the disease of 0.13 per