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7
that the medical man was called in, the mortality which occurred
in comparison to the number of cases was remarkably small
shewing that the epidemic was not of a malignant type; I may
say that every means was taken that lay in our power to prevent
the spread of this disease, notices were sent to the various
schools in all cases where children were attending the school
from the house where the patient was attacked, the sanitary
condition of the house was examined and notices left as to
disinfection to be carried out, and in 70 per cent. of the cases
notified disinfection was done by our men under my superintendence.
TYPHOID FEVER.
The number of cases of this disease notified during the year
was 78, as against 101 the year previous. Although one cannot
positively say that defective drainage is the actual cause of this
disease, it no doubt is a great factor in disceminating it when the
disease has occurred in any locality, and I have in several of my
previous Reports stated that in all cases the drainage ought to
thoroughly tested, but owing to the smallness of our staff that
has been impossible, when however in June last the staff was
increased to three Inspectors in all the cases that have occurred
since that date we have applied the smoke test to the drains of
the infected houses with the result that in the 46 drains tested
20 of them were found to be defective; notices were served and
the defects remedied under the personal superintendence of the
Inspectors; although this way of testing drains is to my mind
the most effectual it entails a large amount of time and labour,
the cost of the actual test is nominal, the expense being in the
labour as we have to have two labourers to wheel from place to
place the machine and work the apparatus, but I consider the
results as stated above more than compensates for the time expended.
DIPHTHERIA.
This disease has been more recognised as such during the last
few years; we have had 256 cases notified to us during the year
1892, a number of these have been of so mild a type that it is
probable that they were simply sore throats, as in many of these
cases when the Inspectors and myself have visited the houses
the occupants have expressed their surprise at hearing for the
first time their children were supposed to be suffering from this
disease; undoubtedly a large number of the cases were genuine
Diphtheria and precautions were taken by us in all the cases as
regards disinfection, and in notifying to the various schools where
the children from the house attended. As in Tyhoid Fever defective
drainage plays a very important part in spreading this
disease and since our staff of Inspectors has been increased we
have been enabled to have the drains tested in every house where
this disease existed, with the result that out of 127 cases that
the smoke test was applied, in 36 of them the drainage was
found to be defective, these defects have now been remedied.