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INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
During the year 1937 the number of notifications of all
infectious diseases (excluding tuberculosis) received was 2,239, as
compared with 1,690 for the year 1936. The figure for 1937
represents an increase of 32.5 per cent. on the figure for the
previous year. The increase is largely accounted for by an increase
in the number of cases of scarlet fever notified, and by a less
evident increase in the number of cases of diphtheria and of
pneumonia. The deaths from notifiable diseases (excluding
tuberculosis and pneumonia) during 1937 numbered 44, compared
with 31 deaths in the previous year.
Main data on the weekly incidence, age grouping,
and ward distribution of the principal infectious diseases are given
in Tables I., II., and III. These tables do not include particulars
regarding the following diseases: Malaria, cholera, relapsing
fever, continued fever, typhus, plague. During the year under
review, 5 cases of malaria were notified. There were no deaths
from this or any of the other diseases mentioned, and no notifications
were received in respect of these other conditions. No case
of anthrax or of rabies came to the notice of the department.
The following was the quarterly distribution of notifications
of all notifiable infectious diseases (exclusive of tuberculosis)
during the year: 1st quarter, 523; 2nd quarter, 412; 3rd quarter,
631; 4th quarter, 673.
Of the 2,239 notifications, 27.7 per cent. referred to patients
under 5 years of age, 61.3 per cent. to patients under 10 years, and
73.0 per cent. to patients under 15 years.
The deaths from the seven principal zymotic diseases—viz.
smallpox, scarlet fever, diphtheria, enteric fever, measles, whooping
cough, and diarrhoea and enteritis (under two years)—
numbered 89, which gives a death rate of 0.34 per 1,000 living.
For the years 1936, 1935 and 1934 the respective number of deaths
from these seven conditions were 161, 82, and 206; and the death
rates per 1,000 living were 0.61, 0.38 and 0.74. As judged by
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