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yet settled whether horse clung, the soil of the ground, and any
collection of filth, is not also a possible source of infection. It is
undecided what is the specific germ of the disease, and whether
indeed it is not caused by several different germs. In a Report
made to your Council on summer diarrhoea in 1904,1 recommended
that the same precautions should be taken with every case of
Zymotic Enteritis as with Enteric Fever. For this purpose, it
was necessary to know of the existence of cases, so that the
houses might be visited, and the necessary directions given as to
isolation, cleanliness, and disinfection. The Council accordingly
decided in the spring of 1905 to pay for voluntary notifications
of the first case of Zymotic Enteritis occurring in a family during
the months of July, August and September; and in January,
1906, it was decided to continue the experiment for three years
more, and the tables I. to VI. summarize the notifications received,
and the results of the inquiries made in the 2nd year of Notification.
Altogether 366 cases were notified (compared with 212 in 1905)
of whom 46 died, giving a case death-rate of 13 per cent., 81
deaths occurring during the quarter were certified to be from
diarrhoea or Zymotic Eneritis, so that 35 children died of this
disease who were not notified. It appears, therefore, that the
majority of the cases for which medical attendance was called in
were notified. Most cases were notified within three or four days
of the commencement of illness.
Age Distribution— Table I. shows that nearly half the cases
notified were between 3 and 12 months of age. The largest
number in any three months being between 9 and 12 months of
age. 34 cases were notified over 5 years of age. From inquiries
made, I have no doubt that the disease affects persons at all ages,
but it is much more serious under the age of 2, and again in
extreme old age. Six deaths were in persons over 60 years of age.
Local Distribution.—As notification is voluntary, it was to be
expected that some doctors would be more inclined to notify