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leaflet of instructions was left and explained. On it instructions
are given as to cleanliness, feeding of infants, disinfection,
and other matters. Mothers were particularly directed to
wash their hands before preparing baby's food. If any insanitary
conditions were found at the house, the usual steps were taken
for remedying them.
Source oj Infection.— Some probable source of infection was
discovered in 20 cases, viz., father in 1; mother, 2; sister, 3;
brother, 5 ; lodger, 5 ; son, 1; neighbour, 3.
Deaths.— Table VIII. gives the death rates from diarrhoeal
diseases in the summer quarter during the past five years, and
infantile death rates for the year in London and Woolwich during
the past five years. With this is also given the maximum
temperature of the 3 ft. ground thermometer, and the average
temperature of the same thermometer for the 13 weeks of each
summer quarter of the years 1901 to 1906.
It is well known that diarrhoea is much more prevalent during
warm weather.
The past quarter had the highest average temperature (62'08)
of any quarter in the past six years, the average temperature of
the summer quarter, 1901 (62'06), most nearly approached the
temperature of the past quarter. It was, therefore, to be expected
that the diarrhoeal mortality of this year would be higher than in
any of the past five years. As a fact the deaths from Diarrhoea
(including Epidemic or Zymotic Enteritis, Dysentery and
Infantile Cholera) were 2.54 per 1000 living, which is below the
rate of both 1901 and 1904 (see Table VIII.). The Diarrhoea
death-rate in the County of London was 3.00, and is the highest
rate for any of the past six years, except 1904. In order to test
the advantage derived from notification of Zymotic Enteritis I
have compared the Diarrhoea death-rate of the summer quarter
of London and Woolwich in the two periods, 1901/4 and 1905/6.