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7
and the building of new ones, little could be done to remedy the
defects so discovered.
WATER SUPPLY.
The water supply of the area has been satisfactory both in quality
and in quantity. Four samples of water were collected and submited
for bacteriological examination. In each case the results showed
that the water was fit for public supply. There has been no evidence
of either plumbo-solvency or of any form of contamination. The
whole of the dwellings in the Borough are supplied from public water
mains direct to house.
PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER, INFECTIOUS
DISEASES.
Particulars of the incidence and distribution of the cases of infectious
disease notified during the year 1946 are set out in Tables 23-26 in the
Appendix, in which the number of cases removed to hospital and the
number of deaths in the district from these diseases are also given.
The incidence of infectious diseases in the Borough during the
year have been low, with the exception of dysentery sonne of which
there was an outbreak during the year.
On March 29th the Head Mistress of a Primary School in the
Borough reported that a considerable number of scholars, chiefly
of the five to eight year old group, had been away owing to illness
commencing about March 27th.
Upon investigation, it was ascertained that the condition from
which they had been suffering was dysentery sonne. Sustained
enquiries failed to reveal any carrier among the canteen workers of
the school or among those serving school meals. Water and milk
supplies were examined also, and were found to be in every way pure.
Although this was a sudden outbreak at the school, sporadic cases
were known to have occurred in the Borough and, in fact, throughout
the whole country during the last few years.
In all, 83 cases were reported, 68 of which were notified, two
of whom were adults ; 14 children were admitted to the Borough
Infectious Diseases Hospital. Three other cases occurred during
the year but these had no connection with the outbreak among the
children and adults connected with the school.
In outbreaks of this character, one of the most important means
of prevention of spread of infection is special attention to personal
cleanliness—such as washing one's hands after using the water-closet
and also before taking meals, and the importance of these simple
preventive measures were publicised, as far as possible, by personal
propaganda and reference thereto in the local presa