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unfortunately still exists in the district in spite of many efforts
to abate it. No less than 77 houses have been pulled down
during the past year, representing about 460 souls, and the
dwellings ready for occupation, or in course of erection, will not
by any means adequately accommodate this homeless population.
The result is overcrowding and consequent disease or illhealth.
Under the ciicumstances when proceedings are taken
it is difficult in many cases to get the law enforced?
MEASLES.
No less than twenty-one deaths were due to this disease or
its complications. This can only be regarded as a most
deplorable mortality, the more so when one cannot but feel
that much of it could be prevented. Many among the poor
look upon measles as a mild disease which every child must
have, and therefore should be encouraged to have in order " to
get it over," consequently no care is taken to prevent children
mixing with those suffering from the disease. Having "got it,"
the child, unless under medical control, is frequently allowed
out of doors as soon as or even before the rash has faded, with
the too common result that some complication ensues which
may lead to death. The practice adopted by teachers of
excluding from school those suffering from the disease, or those
living in a house where it exists, is obviously a good one, but
some control similar to that adopted in the case of the
notifiable infectious diseases seems to be needed to rob this
otherwise not highly dangerous disease of its present high
mortality.
PUERPERAL FEVER.
There were three cases of this disease, all of which
occurred in St. Saviour's Sub-District, and all were removed
to the hospital. It is to be remarked that though suffering
from this highly dangerous disease they all recovered. Having
regard to the nature of the complaint, stringent measures were
adopted for the prevention of its spread. The bedding and
clothing in each case was burnt and the rooms thoroughly
disinfected, full compensation being given by the Board for
the articles destroyed. In one of the cases the nurse in attendance
was prevented from attending any other lying-in patient
for a period of two months, compensation being made to her
for the loss of her work. In the other cases the patients were
attended by relatives who did not make a practice of attending
labour cases. They were warned not to attend any such cases