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7
may find its way into houses by other channels than in effluvia
arising from a defect in the drain, there is little doubt that
defective drainage does exert an influence in the dissemination of
the Diptheria poison. An examination of the Sanitary condition
of infected houses appears to point to such a conclusion. But it
must be remembered in the consideration of cause and effect that
an examination as carefully instituted in houses of the parish in
which no cases of Diphtheria nor other infectious disease lud
occurred, would in a considerable percentage record the existence
of defects in drainage.
The results of the examination however, when analysed, appear
to point to the existence of a larger number of defects than it can
fairly be presumed do exist in houses not belonging to this
category.
As Diphtheria sometimes attacks more than one member of a
family, the number of cases reported is in excess of the number of
houses. Thus, while 286 persons are said to have been the
subjects of Diphtheria, 222 houses alone were included in the
inspection.
What does the result of this inspection demonstrate ?
Only 95 houses out of 222 were free from Sanitary defect. One
hundred and twenty-seven or fifty-seven per cent, were defective.
In fifty-four houses the defects were grave in character, and the
suspicion that the insanitary condition resulted from some faulty
connection or breakage in the pipes beneath the surface, upon
subsequently opening the ground was confirmed. Defects of a
nature not so serious, were discovered in the remaining seventythree
cases; these principally relating to connected sinks, wastewater
pipes, and to broken or otherwise defective traps.
Although much good may be expected to result from the
operation of the Notification of Infectious Diseases Act in securing
the isolation of persons suffering from certain dangerously
infectious diseases, and the disinfection of their houses. The