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17
Puerperal Fever.—Two deaths occurred from this disease.
Four cases were notified during the year against none last
year. Two of the cases were removed to hospital.
Influenza.—Nineteen deaths occurred from this disease
compared with twenty-two last year.
Influenza was very prevalent at the beginning of the year.
As is well known, this is a disease of a most infectious
character, and we know absolutely no more how to guard
against it and little more with regard to its treatment than
when it made its first appearance, in what was called the
Bussian form, ten years ago.
The curious thing about Influenza is its prevalence in usually
healthy districts ; and it is emphatically not a disease of the
slums.
In London, in 1890, 650 persons died of this disease; but
in each of the two subsequent years, the deaths ascribed to it
reached over 2,000.
Measles.—Twenty-one deaths occurred from this disease
compared with seventeen in 1899.
In consequence of an epidemic of Measles at the Infants'
Department, James-street Board Schools, there being only 83
children in attendance out of 178 on the roll, I thought it desirable
to have that department closed for sixteen days. This
was done with good results. The premises were thoroughly
cleansed and disinfected on March 28th.
The investigations then made revealed the following facts:—
On 5th and 6th March, two children, scholars at this
school, from the same address, developed measles; on
the 15th instant one other case, a scholar, was noted ; on
19th twenty-two scholars were excluded, twenty-one
actually suffering from measles. In all, 45 children were
excluded from the infants' department in consequence
of measles, 42 being patients, the remaining three being
unaffected by the disease. Further, seventeen of the
later cases occurred in fifteen houses, several of which
were located at distances of at least half-a-mile from
each other, the children apparently having no intercourse
other than at school.
In the boys' department, one case of the disease was
known to have affected a scholar personally, and ten were
excluded in consequence of cases at their homes.