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great extent, the heaviest incidence being the occurrence of 22 cases
spread over two months in one school. Only two other schools totalled
as many as 20 cases throughout the year.
Two children died from whooping cough.
The number of patients suffering from this disease who were removed
to hospital for treatment was 7 and the number of visits paid by
the health visitors 112.
NON-NOTIFIABLE INFECTIONS.
Chickenpox.
Intimations were received from the head teachers of absences of
924 children from public elementary schools on account of chickenpox.
Most of these were from three schools where the infection started in
March and lasted until June or July, the numbers of affected children in
the schools being 160, 155, and 138. About the same time another school
had altogether 73 cases. Most schools were involved to some extent,
though most only slightly, and in general the incidence was concentrated
in the months March to July, though one school had some 40 cases in
the first two months of the year.
Mumps.
This complaint was, in all, about as prevalent as chickenpox,
intimations being received of absences on account of it of 984 children.
Considering the district as a whole the distribution was more evenly
spread throughout the year though the occurrence in January and in
the latter months of the year was due to cases at two separate schools,
most of the others at these periods being relatively free. The range of
infection was not so marked as in the case of chickenpox because while
two schools had each of them just over 100 cases a further four had
between 80 and 100 and another just over 40.
German Measles.
Again the incidence of this infection was very light, intimations
being received in all of some 38 cases, these being reported from schools
which were, at the time, being attacked by measles.
Influenza.
Influenza was again prevalent in the earlier months of the year, 10
of the 13 deaths from this complaint occurring some time in the first
quarter of the year. 15 cases of influenzal pneumonia were notified.
Scabies. VERMIN INFESTATION.
The same arrangements continued in operation by which persons
suffering from scabies were treated at the cleansing sections of five of
the first aid posts in the district. The total number of cases, 1,701,
treated, is a large increase on the number of 299 who attended for treatment
in the previous year. While of those under five years of age the
numbers for each sex approximated (95 male and 120 female) there was
a marked difference in those of school age (285 and 472) and still greater
difference in adults of whom the number of females was three times that
of the males (180 and 549).