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14
courtesy of Dr. Marsh, the family medical attendant, I had an
opportunity of seeing some of the children while living, and tho
character of the rash in each case, the accompanying bronchopneumonia,
and the typhoid condition of tho patient, showed it
to be suppressed measles of a most malignant type.
On proceeding to examine the sanitary state of the premises,
it was soon evident from tho tainted and close atmosphere that
no regard was paid to ventilation, and a want of cleanliness was
very apparent in every department, the parlour occupied by tho
lodger excepted.
A thorough exploration of tho house pipes failed to discover
any defect within tho building, but the pan-trap of the w.c. was
out of repair, and a great force of sewer air escaped therefrom,
tho odour from which was most offensive. An analysis of
the water showed it to be largely contaminated with sewer gas,
through the waste-pipo of the cistern discharging itself into tho
soil-pipe of the closet.
It is remarkable that the one child living in the parlours, tho
cleanest and the best ventilated part of the house, was the only
one in which the rash of measles could bo fully developed, and
although he ultimately succumbed from Pneumonia, he struggled
on the longest, the disease in him never manifesting tho same
degree of malignancy.
It was supposed that the children took tho infection at a
Public School, but inquiry proved that there had been no ease
of measles among any of the attendants for months previously.
I regard the above as ono of those cases in which the simple
infection of a disease may bo rendered malignant on entering
the body, the vitality of which has been previously lowered,
and the blood rendered impure, by contaminated air and water.
The mortality from Scarlet Fever increased throughout tho
first, second, and third quarters of the 3 ear, and declined in the
fourth or March quarter. The deaths in each quarter were as
follows:—June, 28, (8 stiangers); September, 39, (22 strangers);
December, 43, (7 strangers); and March, 22, (8 strangers).
Diphtheria caused 9 deaths in tho June quarter, 7 in September