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8
during the first and last quarters. At no time could
it be said that the disease assumed an epidemic form,
but throughout the year and in all parts of the District
it prevailed to a greater degree than usual, and had it
not been for the prompt isolation of the cases, I have
reason to believe we should have experienced a
sharp epidemic.
Diphtheria.
Thirty cases were notified during the year, an
excess of two on those for 1906, whilst for 1905 they
numbered 39. I consider that the exposure of young
children to the emanations of sewage is a frequent
cause of this complaint ; in many cases it is caught
at school by exposure to infection from another
child suffering from the same disease. There is
little doubt that emanations from sewage do predispose
to throat infections. In Great Britain,
atmospheric humidity is considered most favourable
to the general prevalence of this complaint, although
it has been stated that it may become epidemic in
those years in which the rainfall has been deficient.
Enteric or Typhoid Fever.
There were 30 notifications and five deaths; of the
latter, two occurred in the Isolation Hospital. We
had an unfortunate outbreak of this complaint, cases
being notified during July, August and September. I
instructed our Chief Sanitary Inspector to make a
careful inspection of the drains at each house from
which a case had been notified. On testing the
drains at a mansion in Bedford Park, slight defects
were discovered, and at a house in Elliott Road.